BETHANIA  CONGREGATION,  1759-1909 


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POE1VL 


BY  MISS  E-  A*  LEHMAN 


A  century  and  a  half  ago,  a  band  of  earnest  men 
From  old  Bethabara  came  forth,  to  this  sequestered  glen. 
They  'd  left  their  homes  across  the  seas,  a  virgin  soil  to  find, 
A  place  where  they  could  worship  God,  according  to  their 

mind. 
A  fuller  freedom  still  they  craved — a  wider  field  to  scan, 
Where  they  could  think,   and   toil,  "and  strive,   and  work 

out  every  plan. 
So  to  Bethania  they  came,  beloved  home  of  peace ! 
To  raise  their  sacred  altars,  in  a  howling  wilderness. 
Their  voices  rose  in  prayer     and     praise,     through     leafy 

woodland  aisles, 
While  savage  bears  and  panthers,  were  prowling  through 

the  wilds. 
And  Indians,  more  relentless,  and  cruel,  still,  than  these 
Were  stealing^tj.irQii^'h  the  forests,  peering  through  quiver- 
ing leaves. 

They  wrought  in  faith  and  patience,  felling  the  grand  old 

trees,  m 

While  rearing  homes,  they  slowly  changed  wild  woods  to 

fertile  fields. 
Day  by  day  they  toiled,  though  saddened,  without  haste 

and  without  rest, 
While  dark  Pestilence  was  preying,  on  their  choicest  and 

their  best. 
While  its  sable  banners  mqcked  them,  with  sorely  aching 

heart, 
Brave,   heroic,   calm,   and   earnest,   they   simply   did   their 

part; 
Anchored  on  the  Rock  of  Ages,  by   a   strong   and   living 

faith, 


BETHANIA 


The  Eternal  God   their  Refuge,   they  were   faithful  unto 

death, 
Leaning,    with    a    steadfast    patience,    on    the   strong,    Al- 
mighty arm, 
Which    has   never   failed   nor   faltered,   as   the   ages   still 

roll  on. 
The  first  home  that  thus  they  builded,   stood  just  below 

us, — near: — 
The   great,   great    grandson    of   the    owners,    the    beloved 

pastor  here, 
In  this  Sesqui-Centennial,  he  stands  on  Zion's  walls, 
A  watchman,  brave  and  fearless,  as  day  by  day  he  calls : 
"What  of  the  night,  my  brothers?     How  g:oes  the  fight 

with  you? 
Are  you  standing  by  your  colors?     Do  you  keep  the  goal 

in  view? 

When  50  years  had  glided,  like  shadows  o'er  the  plain, 
These  strong;  church  walls  rose   'round  them  which  today 

are  still  the  same. 
And  may  they  long  bear  witness  to  the  true  and  patient 

skill 
Of  the  fathers  who  have  built  them,    and    now    rest    on 

yonder  hill! 
When  success  had  crowned  their  efforts,  when  homes  and 

church  spire  rose, 
One  by  one,  they  gently  laid  them,  down  to  a  long  repose. 
Left  their  dwellings  in  the  valley,  for  the  village  on  the 

hill, 
Where  they  rest  from  all  their  labors,  and  their  works  do 

follow  still, 
Where    the    ancient    cedars    darkle,    and    the    periwinkles 

creep, 
Twining,   lovingly   about   them,   in    their   silent    dreamless 

sleep, 
Done  with  all  their  early  struggles,  knowing  nothing  of 

our  fears, 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL 


How   they   rest,   these   early   fathers,   through   a   hundred 

rolling  years ! 
How    they   pass,    these    drifting   ages!     Bearing    us    upon 

their  tide, 
But   the   same   Almighty   Pilot    is   still     their    children's 

guide, 
Methinks  I   hear  them   softly,   when   the   evening  glories 

call! 
And  the  golden  bars  of  sunset,  along  the  horizon  fall. 
Down,  down  along  the  ages,  floating  their  accents  true, 
To  their  children's  children  calling,  to  them,  to  me,  to  you, 
Fearing  lest  we  should  fail  them,  in  the  stirring  lust  for 

gold, — 
Lest  we  forget  the  teachings,  of  the  brave  days  of  old, 
Methinks  we  hear  their  warnings,  lest  we  neglect  the  truth, 
And  spend  for  naught  the  vigor,  and  the  freshness  of  our 

youth. 

Mid  the  glories  of  the  homeland,  we  shall  greet  them  by 

and  by: 
In  the  uncreated  brightness  of  the  Father's  House  on  high, 
There,  in  the  white  domed  mansions  of  an  Eternal  Peace, 
We  shall  see  and  know  our  loved  ones,  after  earth's  con- 
flicts cease, 
0,  the  beauty  of  that  country,  has  never  yet  been  told, 
Not  the  faintest  whispers  reach  us,  from  that  land  where 

none, grow  old. 
Earth's  accents  are  too  feeble,  to  utter  all  their  joy, 
Our  mortal   tongues   too    stammering,    for   songs   without 

alloy. 
But  the  glad  day  dawns  for  us  too,  whose  sun  shall  ne'er 

go  down, 
On  the  green  banks  of  Life's  River,  wTe  shall  know,   as 

we  are  known, 
There,  with  the  saints  and  angels,  in  harmony  to  meet 
To  spend  eternal  ages,  at  our  Redeemer's  feet. 


BETHANIA 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL 


PREACHERS  AND  SKETCHES 


JOHN  CHRISTIAN  JACOBSON  was  born  in  Den- 
mark 1795.  With  his  wife  (m.  n.  Schnall)  he  be- 
gan his  pastorate  at  Bethania  1820.  In  1834 
he  took  charge  of  Salem  Female  Academy,  and 
about  ten  years  later  became  Principal  of  Naz- 
areth School,  Pa.  In  1849  ne  was  called  to 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  where  he  served  as  a  member 
of  the  Provincial  Elders'  Conference.  He  was 
ordained  Bishop  in  1854.  He  died  in  1870.  His 
son,  Rev.  H.  A.  Jacobson,  is  Office  Editor  of 
"The  Moravian,"  published  in  the  Northern 
Province. 


GEORGE  FREDERICK  BAHNSON  was  born  in 
Denmark  1805.  He  was  educated  in  Germany. 
In  1829  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  and 
five  years  later  began  his  ministerial  career.  The 
two  congregations  in  which  he  labored  longest 
and  with  most  success  were  Lancaster,  Pa.,  and 
Salem,  N.  C.  He  was  pastor  at  Bethania  from 
1834  to  1838.  He  was  consecrated  Bishop  in 
i860.  He  died  a  few  weeks  after  his  return 
from  General  Synod  in  Germany,  which  was  held 
in  1869.  One  of  his  sons,  Rev.  George  F.  Bahn- 
son,  is  pastor  at  Schoeneck,  Pa. 


FRANCIS   FLORENTINE   HAGEN  was  born   of 
missionary  parents  in  Salem,    N.    C,    181 5.     He 


BETHANIA 


studied  at  Bethlehem  and  Nazareth,  Pa.  He 
was  pastor  at  Bethanra  from  1844  to  185 1. 
Friedberg  was  a  later  charge.  After  his  return 
to  the  Northern  Province  he  did  pastoral  work 
and  for  several  years  was  a  member  of  P.  E.  C. 
His  literary  activity  appeared  in  his  book,  ''Old 
Landmarks."  He  was  a  musician  of  ability. 
''Morning  Star,"  composed  by  him,  is  one  of 
our  familiar  Christmas  songs.  He  died  in  1907 
in  Lititz,  Pa.,  where  he  spent  his  last  days  under 
the  care  of  his  son,  Rev.  Ernest  S.  Hagen,  who 
is  pastor  at  that  place. 


EUGENE  MAXIMILLIAN  GRUNERT  was  born 
in  Niesky,  Germany,  1826.  He  was  trained  in 
our  best  German  schools.  He  came  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  as  a  young  man.  In  1851  he  became 
pastor  at  Bethania.  After  having  served  as 
teacher  and  assistant  principal  of  Salem  Female 
Academy,  he  became  principal.  He  was  con- 
nected with  this  institution  twenty  years.  Leav- 
ing Salem  he  became  pastor  at  Emmaus,  Pa., 
and  then  professor  in  the  Theological  Seminary. 
He  died  in  1887.  His  son,  Rev.  F.  E.  Grunert, 
is  pastor  of  New  Dorp  congregation,  Staten 
Island,  New  York. 


JACOB  FREDERICK  SIEWERS  was  born  in  1805 
in  the  West  Indies,  where  his  parents  were  mis- 
sionaries. At  the  age  of  seven  he  was  sent  to 
Nazareth  Hall,  Pa.  He  worked  at  the  cabinet- 
maker's trade.  He  served  three  years  as  mis- 
sionary to  slaves  at  Woodstock  Mills,  Fla.     La- 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL 


ter  he  had  charge  of  New  Philadelphia  congre- 
gation near  Salem.  He  was  the  first  resident 
pastor  at  Mt.  Bethel.  His  pastorate  in  Bethania 
dates  from  1857  to  1865.  He  died  in  Illinois, 
1867.  He  was  a  man  of  strong  convictions, 
cheerful  in  disposition,  enthusiastic  in  his  work, 
and  consecrated  to  the  service  of  the  Master. 


CHRISTIAN  LEWIS  RIGHTS,  was  born  near  Sa- 
lem 1820.  He  began  his  ministerial  labors  as  the 
home  missionary  in  the  Mt.  Bethel  region,  Va. 
In  1854  he  was  called  to  Friedberg.  In  1865  he 
came  to  Bethania.  His  last  important  charge 
was  Kernersville.  Other  congregations  served 
by  him  were  Friedland,  Macedonia,  Bethabara, 
Oak  Grove,  and  Providence.  He  died  in  1891 
while  on  a  visit  to  the  Indian  Territory.  He 
was  the  pioneer  in  revival  work  in  the  Southern 
Province.  Great  meetings  held  by  him  in 
Bethania  and  other  congregations  are  still  bear- 
ing fruit. 


EUGENE  P.  GREIDER  was  born  in  Pennsylvania 
1825.  He  served  as  missionary  in  the  West  In- 
dies. He  served  in  the  Northern  Province  at 
Hope,  Ind.,  Graceham,  Md.,  Egg  Harbor,  N.  J., 
and  Lebanon,  Pa.  His  service  in  the  Southern 
Province  began  in  1873  as  pastor  in  Bethania, 
where  he  continued  to  reside  several  years  after 
his  retirement.  He  was  noted  for  his  system- 
atic work.  His  last  years  were  spent  in  Leba- 
non, Pa.,  where  he  died  in  1904.     Two  sons  en- 


io  BETHANIA 


tered  the  ministry — Rev.  Paul  M.  Greider,  pas- 
tor in  Brooklyn,  N.  Y.,  and  Rt.  Rev.  Edwin  C. 
Greider  in  the  West  Indies. 


ROBERT  PARMENIO  LEINBACH  was  born  in 
Salem  1831.  He  studied  at  Bethlehem  and  Naz- 
areth, Pa.  He  followed  teaching  in  Nazareth 
Hall  and  the  Boys'  School  in  Salem.  Friedland 
and  Macedonia  were  two  of  his  earlier  pastoral 
charges.  Friedberg  was  a  larger  field  for  him. 
In  1877  he  became  pastor  at  Bethania,  where  he 
completed  his  life  work.  After  his  retirement 
from  active  service  he  remained  in  Bethania  till 
his  death  in  1892.  He  served  a  number  of  years 
in  the  P.  E.  C.  In  the  time  of  his  Bethania  pas- 
torate he  attended  for  a  while  to  the  Mt.  Bethel 
work. 


EDWARD  S.  CROSLAND  is  the  only  surviving 
minister  who  served  in  Bethania  before  the  pres- 
ent pastorate.  Leaving  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary in  Bethlehem,  Pa.,  for  active  service,  he 
came  in  1892  to  Bethania  as  his  first  charge  from 
which  he  removed  in  1901  to  Calvary,  Winston, 
which  he  still  holds.  Alpha  Chapel  and  Mizpah 
Chapel  stand  as  monuments  of  his  zeal  for  the 
growth  of  Bethania  congregation. 


WALTER  GRABS  the  present  pastor  formerly 
had  charged  Friedland,  Macedonia,  and  Oak 
Grove,  but  gave  these  up  in  1901  to  take  charge 
at  Bethania.  He  serves  also  at  Providence,  Mt. 
Bethel,  and  Willow  Hill. 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL 


1 1 


fl^gg^Su^  11 


12  BETHANIA 


GOV.  SAMUEL  T.  HAUSER, 

OF 
HELENA,  MONTANA 


Compiled  by  his  neice,  Mrs.  Erastus  B.  Jones,  from  Pio- 
neer History  of  Montana  and  from  various  articles  that 
have  from  time  to  time  appeared  concerning  his  life. 


6 


OVERNOR     SAM- 
UEL THOS.  HAU- 
SER,    of  Helena, 
Montana,   the    subject    of 
*        this   sketch,   is   the   great- 
^    ,  great  grandson  of  Martin 

Hauser,  who  with  the  Mo- 
r  ,        ravian    Brethren   came   to 
W^m/^i        America      from      Switzer- 
^%4Hh)fl       Br  land    in    1753,    and    who    is 

K      Jk      ?  spoken    of    in    the    history 

^■■k^H     ^r  "Moravians  in  North  Car- 

;h.W^  olina"    as    'neighbor    and 

friend';  the  great  grandson  of  George  the  First,  the 
son  who  came  over  with  his  father,  and  whose  pa- 
triotism was  so  pronounced  that  when  Cornwallis' 
army  was  in  possession  of  Hausertown  (Bethania),  he 
was  seized  and  carried  to  the  mess  room,  the  sol- 
diers trying  to  force  him  to  drink  to  the  health  of 
their  King.  Though  a  German,  he  was  quick-witted 
enough  to  fall  back  upon  the  broken  English  which 
was  largely  spoken  in  those  early  days  among  these 
German  colonists,  and  raising  the  glass,  said,  "To 
the  hell  with  your  King!"  which  seemed  sufficiently 
satisfactory  for  the  soldiers  to  allow  him  to  go ;  the 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  13 

grandson  of  George  The  Second  who  served  in  the 
Revolutionary  war. 

In  the  summer  of  1818  Samuel  Thomas  Hauser, 
father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  a  youth  of  24 
years,  having  graduated  from  Chapel  Hill  in  181 7, 
mounted  his  horse  at  his  father's  (George  Hauser's) 
doorstep  and  rode  out  of  Bethania  into  the  West,  out 
of  the  village  oft-times  called  by  his  own  name,  out 
of  that  Moravian  settlement  into  the  unknown  world 
towards  the  setting  sun,  not  certain  in  which  direction 
his  course  would  carry  him,  as  a  double  motive  im- 
pelled him — the  desire  to  get  beyond  the  horizon  of 
his  youth  and  to  overtake,  if  possible,  a  man  who  had 
left  town  owing  his  father  quite  a  sum  of  money. 
Always  keeping  a  little  ahead — the  fugitive  lured 
him  on  as  far  as  Kentucky,  young  Hauser  losing  trace 
of  him  near  the  pretty  little  town  of  Falmouth,  Ky. 
Here  waiting  to  be  ferried  across  the  Licking  river, 
he  looked  upon  the  town  situated  in  a  beautiful  valley 
like  an  amphitheatre  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  green 
hills,  and  here  he  concluded  to  rest  from  his  long 
journey  and  reconnoiter.  His  attractive  personality 
and  marked  intelligence  immediately  won  friends  for 
him.  Here  he  decided  to  remain,  first  teaching 
school  until  he  could  establish  himself  in  his  chosen 
profession  of  law,  for  which  he  had  been  prepared  at 
Chapel  Hill.  He  became  one  of  the  noted  lawyers 
of  Northern  Kentucky,  and  in  the  days  of  the  old 
Commonwealth  when  the  Judiciary  was  appointed, 
he  was  made  Judge.  It  has  always  been  said  that 
he  became  so  much  interested  in  a  young  lady,  Mary 
Ann  Kennett,  whom  he  met  when  he  first  reached 
Falmouth,  that  he  tarried  on  her  account,  and  on  her 
account  remained.  In  1822  they  were  married. 
They  reared  a  family  of  seven  children. 

We  can  but  note  an  instance     of     his     Southern 


i4  BETHANIA 


chivalry — he  named  all  four  of  his  daughters  for  his 
wife,  using  different  combinations  of  her  three 
names — Alary  Ann  Kennett.  During  the  course  of 
years  Judge  Hauser  came  back  to  Bethania  three 
times,  making  the  trip  as  he  had  first  done,  on  horse- 
back. His  letters  written  on  these  visits  of  the 
"little  world  to  itself"  as  he  describes  his  birthplace, 
are  most  interesting.  Greatly  did  he  desire  to  bring 
one  of  his  children  back  with  him,  but  fearing  such 
a  long  trip  on  horseback  would  be  too  fatiguing  the 
plan  each  time  was  abandoned.  One  of  these  chil- 
dren, the  son  bearing  his  father's  name,  Samuel 
Thomas,  was  born  in  Falmouth,  Kentucky,  in  1834. 
From  early  childhood  he  manifested  a  most  pro- 
nounced personality,  a  forceful  direct  nature,  inde- 
pendent, cheerful,  brave,  always  somewhat  chary  of 
speech,  he  has  proven  a  man  of  actions  rather  than 
of  words.  An  incident  from  his  boyhood  marks  these 
traits.  Returning  from  an  errand  on  which  he  had 
been  sent  on  horseback  he  appeared  swinging  his 
bridle  nonchalantly  with  the  announcement  to  his 
mother,  "Blackhawk's  dead!"  "What?"  she  asked  in 
astonishment,  "Blackhawk's  dead!"  was  the  startling 
reply.  Only  from  an  eye-witness,  a  negro  servant, 
could  the  story  be  learned  of  the  narrow  escape  from 
death  he  had  just  passed  through,  of  the  alertness 
and  presence  of  mind  he  had  displayed  when  the 
beautiful  and  valuable  black  animal  he  was  riding 
had  stumbled  over  a  precipice  throwing  the  small 
boy  off  and  breaking  her  own  neck. 

When  a  young  man  he  studied  civil  engineering 
and  was  engaged  in  this  kind  of  work  in  building 
the  Kentucky  Central  Railroad  running  from  Cov- 
ington, Kentucky  to  Lexington,  Kentucky.  But, 
turning  his  face  westward  as  his  own  father  had  done 
more  than   forty  years  before,   so   Samuel  Thomas, 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL  15 


Jr.,  in  i860  went  to  Missouri  as  a  civil  engineer. 
After  a  period  of  successful  railroad  construction  in 
Missouri  he  joined  an  exploring  party  going  up  the 
Missouri  river  to  the  head  of  navigation,  arriving  at 
Fort  Benton,  Montana,  in  1862  in  the  first  side-wheel 
steamboat  that  ever  reached  that  point,  being  only 
the  second  boat  that  had  ev^r  made  the  trip.  The 
letters  he  wrote  to  his  sister,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Barbour,  of 
Faulmouth,  Kentucky,  on  this  trip  have  become  part 
of  the  Montana  pioneer  history.  During  these 
stirring  days  of  adventure  and  skirmishes  with  In- 
dians he  kept  a  Journal  which  he  carried  in  his  breast 
pocket,  and  which  saved  his  life.  At  one  time  a  bul- 
let from  an  Indian  rifle  struck  this  little  book  and 
was  imbedded  in  it. 

"The  year  after  his  arrival  in  Fort  Benton,  Mon- 
tana, he  became  a  member  of  the  historic  Yellow- 
stone Expedition  of  1863,  which  resulted  in  exploit- 
ing to  the  world  the  inherent  wealth  and  possibil- 
ities of  a  region  that  from  the  first  has  been  a  glory 
and  an  inspiration  to  Montana.  That  bold,  cruel, 
splendid  story  of  that  expedition  marks  the  first  con- 
crete epoch  in  the  development  of  Montana.  Gov- 
ernor Hauser  with  his  characteristic  sprightliness 
and  quick  wit  named  the  geysers  in  Yellowstone 
Park  according  to  some  striking  feature  that  each 
displayed.  The  courage,  the  self-sacrifice,  the  pa- 
tience, the  loyalty,  the  daring  and  the  magnanimity 
displayed  by  the  members  of  this  expedition  are  part 
of  the  history  and  the  foundation  of  the  Common- 
wealth of  Montana.  Some  perished  of  battle  wounds 
and  others  slew  themselves  rather  than  become  a 
burden  to  the  explorers.  Hauser  in  that,  as  in  later 
enterprises,  was  an  inspiration  to  his  associates.  With 
the  tenacity  of  his  indomitable  spirit  he  surmounted 
all  difficulties  and  emerged  from  the  ordeal  the  halest 


16  BETHANIA 


and  most  virile  of  his  associates."  For  more  than 
forty-five  years  he  has  been  an  active  potential  fac- 
tor in  the  affairs  of  Montana.  Since  the  commence- 
ment of  his  business  career  in  1863  he  inspired  the 
building  of  the  Northern  Pacific  Railroad,  has  dom- 
inated the  establishment  and  completion  of  eight 
branches  of  railroad,  four  national  banks.  In  1864 
he  organized  the  first  smelter  company  of  the  terri- 
tory. In  1865  he  built  the  first  silver  mill  at  Phillips- 
burg,  freighting  the  construction  material  from 
California  at  a  cost  of  thirty  cents  per  pound.  Other 
smelters,  the  opening  of  coal  mines,  silver  mines,  the 
first  coke  plant  were  all  conceived  and  accomplished 
by  Governor  Hauser.  "A  rosary  of  notable  perform- 
ances." Governor  Toole,  of  Montana,  once  said  of 
him,  "Instinct  with  the  American  ambition  to  ac- 
complish great  results  without  unnecessary  delay, 
there  has  always  been  enough  of  the  philosophy  of 
the  sturdy  German  in  his  composition  not  to  nego- 
tiate without  caution,  or  conclude  without  delibera- 
tion ;  enough  of  the  abandon  and  penchant  of  the 
Frenchman  for  amusement  and  pleasure  to  furnish 
that  relaxation  which  stimulates,  invigorates  and  for- 
tifies." 

In  1872  he  married  Ellen  Farrar  Kennett  of  St. 
Louis,  Missouri,  a  woman  of  rare  personal  charm 
and  of  most  distinguished  ancestry.  In  1885  Samuel 
Thomas  Hauser  was  appointed  Governor  of  Montana 
by  President  Cleveland.  In  1887  he  resigned,  realiz- 
ing that  his  large  business  interests  left  him  too  lit- 
tle time  for  the  office  of  Chief  Executive,  and  one 
suspects  he  felt  the  restraint  to  his  free  spirit  in  be- 
ing obliged  to  ask  permission  to  leave  home  when- 
ever he  saw  fit  to  go.  It  is  said  that  he  sometimes 
forgot  to  telegraph  Mr.  Cleveland  for  leave  of  ab- 
sence until  he  was  well  on  his  journey  traveling  as 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  17 

fast  as  a  Limited  Express  could  carry  him,  and  the 
story  goes  that  on  one  such  occasion  in  Washington 
Mr.  Cleveland  clasped  him  cordially  by  the  hand  say- 
ing, "Hello,  what  are  you  doing  here,  Hauser?"  They 
were  friends  and  well  understood  each  other.  No 
man  better  knew  the  resources  and  needs  of  his 
State,  and  no  man  had  such  abounding  faith  in  their 
development,  and  the  catalogue  of  his  titanic  achieve- 
ments is  the  best  index  of  his  standing  as  an  organiz- 
er and  financier  and  to  his  value  as  a  citizen  of  his 
adopted  territory,  state  and  city.  But  the  chief  work 
of  his  life  is  just  now  nearing  completion.  The 
crowning  triumph  of  his  career  is  the  construction 
of  a  series  of  dams  in  the  Missouri  river  by  which  the 
water  is  stored  in  reservoirs  for  a  distance  of  sixty 
miles  and  which  will  furnish  an  everlasting  source  of 
power  for  manufacture,  for  treatment  of  ore,  for  the 
pumping  of  water  in  inexhaustible  quantities  for 
light  and  for  transportation,  furnishing  several  other 
towns  as  well  as  the  city  of  Helena,  and  which  will 
result  in  the  irrigation  of  the  most  important  valley 
in  Montana.  To  quote  from  a  recent  issue  of  a 
Montana  paper:  "In  developing  Montana's  'White 
Coal'  as  water  power  is  designated  by  the  French, 
Governor  S.  T.  Hauser  and  his  associates  have  taken 
the  initiative  in  a  great  movement  which,  in  time,  will 
revolutionize  manufacturing  industries  not  only  in 
Montana  but  throughout  the  entire  world." 

Samuel  T.  Hauser  is  an  old  man  in  deeds  and  in 
years,  but  his  spirit  is  as  young  as  ever  and  his 
mind  and  eye  are  clear  and  alert.  The  vicissitudes 
of  half  a  century  of  work,  adventure,  disappoint- 
ment, battle  and  success  have  not  dimmed  his  facul- 
ties nor  soured  his  heart.  He  has  made  and  lost  for- 
tunes, but  in  the  reckoning  of  his  accounts  with  men 


18  BETHANIA 


and  communities  it  will  be  found  that  he  achieved 
more  for  others  than  for  himself. 

Ever  westward  has  been  the  course  of  this  line  of 
North  Carolina's  sons.  In  1818  it  was  a  long  way 
from  Bethania  to  Kentucky,  then  the  frontier,  on 
horseback.  In  i860  it  was  a  brave  heart  that  under- 
took to  reach  the  ever  moving  westward  frontier, 
Montana  by  whatsoever  available  means. 

(From  Helena  Independent,  August  23,  1908.) 

"In  honor  of  Montana's  'grand  old  man,'  who,  with- 
out question,  has  done  more  than  any  other  one  man 
for  the  advancement  of  the  State,  development  of  its 
unlimited  possibilities  and  the  conservation  of  its  nat- 
ural resources,  Governor  Samuel  T.  Hauser,  a  ban- 
quet was  given  at  the  Montana  Club,  Saturday  even- 
ing, August  22,  which  was  attended  by  one  hundred 
of  the  most  representative  men  of  the  city  and  state. 
The  banquet  was  a  continuous  pean  of  praise  and 
spontaneous  outburst  of  appreciation  for  Governor 
Hauser  and  his  efforts  toward  the  general  upbuilding 
of  the  commonwealth.  The  speakers  of  the  evening 
were  chosen  from  among  the  ranks  of  Montana's 
greatest  men,  and  each  and  every  one  paid  tribute 
to  Montana's  greatest  captain  of  industry,  former 
chief  executive,  pioneer  trail  blazer,  eminent  financier, 
distinguished  citizen  and  one  of  the  choice  and  mas- 
ing." 
ter  spirits  of  the  age,  the  honored  guest  of  the  even- 

From  one  of  the  speeches  we  quote  the  following: 
"The  sources  of  the  events  here  culminated  are  to  be 
found  in  years  long  past.  The  results  to  flow  from 
the  events  are  as  far  extending  as  human  imagina- 
tion can  picture.  From  the  sunny  banks  of  the  Lick- 
ing river  where  it  breaks  through  the  rugged  hills 
into  the  great  Ohio  basin,  to  the  canons  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains,     where     sweeps     the     mighty     Missouri 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  19 


through  its  granite  barriers,  is  a  long  day's  journey. 
But  longer  still  is  the  distance  between  the  peaceful, 
yet  restless  boyhood  of  our  friend,  and  the  busy, 
nerve-racking  events  of  the  last  few  years.  To  have 
lived  long  is  a  reward  not  given  to  all — to  have 
achieved  success  in  a  single  field  of  activity  is  ambi- 
tion enough  for  most  of  us.  What  then  shall  we  say 
of  him  in  whose  honor  we  have  met,  who  has  lived 
through  the  years  of  storm  and  stress  incident  to  the 
upbuilding  of  our  western  commonwealths,  who  was 
a  pioneer  in  railroad  engineering  and  assisted  in 
locating  and  building  the  lines  of  railway  along  which 
western  civilization  was  to  develop  and  its  commerce 
to  flow ;  who  on  arriving  in  our  Montana  land,  at  once 
took  hold  of  the  development  of  the  mining  industry 
in  all  of  its  varied  forms,  placer  and  quartz  mining, 
coal  mining,  mills  and  smelters,  and  yet  time  to  as- 
sist and  encourage  the  growth  of  every  other  indus- 
try and  line  of  commercial  activity,  and  who  now, 
as  the  crowning  achievement  of  his  mature  years, 
has  harnessed  the  mountain  torrents  and  forced  them 
to  do  the  work  of  man  in  digging  the  gold,  silver  and 
copper  from  the  hills  and  converting  them  into  arti- 
cles of  usefulness  and  beauty ;  forced  them  to  light 
our  houses,  streets  and  highways  with  glorious 
brilliancy  of  sunlight ;  forced  them  to  transport  us 
safely  and  swiftly  wherever  we  want  to  go,  and  last- 
ly is  forcing  them  into  watering  the  parched  lands,  to 
give  perennial  life  and  fruitfulness  where  now  are 
cactus  and  sage  brush.  These  are  the  works  that 
rival  in  their  variety  and  glory  the  fabled  accom- 
plishments of  Alladin.  The  man  who  brings  about 
this  combination,  so  as  to  reach  with  its  beneficial 
arms  the  largest  number  of  people  possible,  is  a 
great  public  benefactor,  one  whose  efforts  will  live 
on    with    increasing    usefulness.     Our    distinguished 


2o  BETHANIA 


guest  is  that  fortunate  mortal,  to  whom  has  been 
given  the  imagination  to  conceive  this  great  com- 
bination ;  the  judgment  and  wisdom  to  plan  his  suc- 
cessful bringing  about,  and  last  and  greatest  of  all 
the  courage  and  patience  to  overcome  the  many  dif- 
ficulties that  lie  in  the  way  of  all  great  and  lasting 
work.  Yet  they  are  the  results  produced  in  the  life 
time  of  a  man,  who  through  it  all  has  found  time  and 
opportunity  to  be  a  distinguished  public  officer,  a  use- 
ful private  citizen,  a  good  neighbor,  a  genial  com- 
panion, a  friend  to  share  with  us  our  triumphs  and 
successes,  and  to  help  us  by  sympathy  and  encour- 
agement to  bear  the  reverses  and  adversities  that 
come  to  all." 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  21 


CHURCH  ORGAN 


22 


BETHANIA 


BETHANIA 


ALPHA  CHAPEL 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  23 


CHURCH  AND  CHAPELS. 


Historical  Sketch  of  the  Four  Sunday  Schools  of  Be- 

thania  Congregation  for  the  Sesqui-Centen- 

nial  Celebration* 


REV.  F.  W.  GRABS. 


W 


N  this  anniversary  occasion  we  are  gathered 
with  our  Sunday  Schools  because  of  the  es- 
sential work  which  has  been  done  by  them  for 
the  congregation.  We  are  celebrating  a  century  and 
a  half  of  the  existence  of  Bethania.  It  was  in  the 
beginning  of  the  second  half  of  this  period  that  the 
Sunday  School  began  its  work  here,  which  makes 
three  quarters  of  a  century  of  Sunday  School  activ- 
ity in  the  home  place.  As  chapels  have  been  added 
one  by  one  until  we  now  have  three  additional  com- 
munities into  which  the  congregation  has  been  ex- 
tended, the  Sabbath  School  has  been  the  principal 
feature  at  each  place  for  keeping  up  church-life. 

The  following  quotation  from  the  old  record  will 
give  the  beginning  of  the  Sunday  School  effort  in  Be- 
thania. 

"On  this  day  (Nov.  24,  1833)  a  number  of  the  in- 
habitants met  for  the  first  time  for  the  purpose  of 
deliberating  on  the  expediency  of  establishing  a  Sun- 
day School  at  this  place.  As  the  number  of  those 
who,  by  subscribing  the  sum  preliminarily  adopted  to 
constitute  membership  (viz :  25  cents,)  declared  them- 
selves favorably  disposed  towards  the  undertaking 
was  rather  small,  the  meeting  adjourned  to  the  fol- 
lowing Sunday,  in  hopes  of  obtaining  more." 


24  BETHANIA 


Dec.  i. 

"Met  according  to  appointment  at  one  o'clock  p. 
m.  As  the  number  of  subscribers  (n)  and  the  prob- 
able number  of  scholars  seemed  to  warrant  the  con- 
templated undertaking,  a  board  of  officers  was  form- 
ed p.  t.,  consisting  of  four  members,  in  order  to  make 
the  requisite  arrangements  for  opening  the  school 
forthwith  on  the  next  Sunday,  Dec.  8,  though  not  yet 
fully  organized,  as  the  only  way  of  testing  the  prac- 
ticability of  the  plan,  and,  if  found  to  promise  suc- 
cess, then  to  enter  upon  a  proper  organization 
thereof." 

Dec.  8. 

"At  one  p.  m.,  the  room,  prepared  for  the  Sunday 
School,  was  well  filled  with  a  respectable  assemblage. 
Twenty-five  children  and  young  persons  arranged 
themselves  on  the  seats  prepared  for  the  scholars, 
thereby  declaring  their  desire  of  being  entered  on 
the  list  as  such.  They  were  immediately  divided 
into  two  classes,  the  first  consisting  of  such  as  can 
read  at  least  with  some  fluency ;  they  will  constitute 
a  Bible  class  ;  the  second  comprehending  all  those 
who  are  not  yet  able  to  read  properly.  A  sufficient 
number  of  individuals  of  both  sexes  also  proffered 
their  services  as  teachers.  The  school  was  then 
opened  with  a  hymn,  a  short  prayer  and  address, 
whereupon  the  teachers  immediately  entered  upon 
their  duties. 

At  the  close  a  ticket  for  attendance  was  given  to 
every  scholar,  and  at  three  o'clock  the  first  and  very 
encouraging  attempt  of  a  Sunday  School  in  this 
place  was  concluded  by  the  singing  of  a  hymn. 

The  members  and  teachers  then  convened  to  trans- 
act business." 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL 


OLIVET  CHAPEL. 

J  OR  a  number  of  years  preaching  had  been  held 
in  Spanish  Grove  school  house,  about  five  miles 
southwest  of  Bethania,  until  a  desire  arose  for  a 
church  home  in  that  part  of  the  country. 

Between  services  on  New  Year's  Eve  1876  Bro. 
R.  P.  Leinbach,  the  pastor,  spoke  to  two  interested 
brethren  regarding  a  chapel  in  their  community. 
They  replied  that  they  had  been  talking  over  the 
matter.  Not  long  afterward  the  work  began.  In  the 
early  part  of  the  following  year  the  men  of  the 
neighborhood  met  somewhere  about  the  place  where 
Olivet  Chapel  now  stands  to  talk  about  taking  steps 
toward  erecting  a  building.  The  men  of  the  entire 
community  were  there.  Bro.  Jonathan  Conrad  said : 
"Men,  I  can't  do  much  work,  but  I  will  give  an  acre 
of  land  for  a  church."  The  offer  was  accepted,  and 
the  brethren  soon  got  to  work. 

In  that  winter  season  the  willing-hearted  men 
took  tents  and  tools  and  went  into  the  forest  about 
three  miles  west  of  Lewisville  to  cut  the  timber.  The 
scene  presented  after  a  day's  work  was  an  impressive 
one.  Supper  over,  the  brethren,  in  pioneer  style, 
sat  around  the  camp  fire  and  talked.  Bed-time  com- 
ing on,  Bro.  Leinbach,  the  pastor,  who  enjoyed  it 
all  very  heartily,  led  in  the  evening  devotions  while 
they  knelt  around  the  fire  as  an  evidence  of  their 
trust  in  the  Lord,  who  was  with  them  in  their  un- 
dertaking. Two  such  seasons  were  held,  each  lasting 
one  week,  with  one  week  intermission. 

In  the  first  week  they  had  good  weather  till  Sat- 
urday, when  it  snowed.  The  day  was  so  cold  that 
one  of  the  brethren,  when  he  reached  home,  could 
not  use  his  hands  sufficiently  to  unhitch  his  horse  bv 


26  BETHANIA 


himself.  In  the  second  week  again  they  had  good 
weather. 

Then  the  work  of  building  came  on.  The  brethren 
of  that  section  were  assisted  by  some  from  Bethania, 
and  some  money  came  from  Salem.  So  the  work 
went  on  toward  completion ;  then  the  Brethren  Tim- 
othy and  Joseph  Conrad  were  employed  to  finish  the 
building.  In  December,  1878,  the  new  building  was 
consecrated.  Sunday  School  and  preaching  have 
been  kept  up  regularly. 

The  chapel  was  repaired  and  painted  in  the  Sesqui- 
Centennial  year  of  the  Province  (1903),  as  a  feature 
of  commemorating  the  year. 

ALPHA  CHAPEL. 

~M  N  later  years  the  work  of  enlargement  began 
31  anew.  Bro.  F.  H.  Lash  started  a  Sunday  School 
at  No.  1  school  house  two  miles  northeast  of  Be- 
thania on  the  Rural  Hall  road.  This  building  soon 
becoming  unavailable,  and  steps  were  taken  at  once  to 
build  a  chapel.  Plans  were  soon  laid,  and  work  was 
begun  half  a  mile  further  up  the  road  on  a  plot  of 
ground  obtained  from  Mr.  Jesse  Shouse.  The 
chapel  was  in  condition  for  a  Sunday  School  Christ- 
mas entertainment  to  be  held  in  it  in  December,  1894. 

In  1895  the  house  was  dedicated  as  Alpha  Chapel. 

The  faithful  and  efficient  superintendent,  Bro. 
Lash,  was  ably  assisted  by  a  band  of  faithful  workers 
from  Bethania,  who  went  through  all  kinds  of  weath- 
er to  carry  on  their  labor  of  love. 

Alpha  continues  today  as  a  work  small  in  num- 
bers, under  the  persevering  efforts  of  Bro.  E.  T. 
Strupe  as  Sunday  School  superintendent.     The  pas- 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  27 


tor  preaches  once  a  month.     A  member  of  the  neigh- 
borhood does  good  service  as  organist. 


u 


MIZPAH  CHAPEL. 

ITH  increasing  zeal  Bro.  Lash  began  a  Sunday 
School  also  at  Wolff's  school  house  Mch.  3  1895. 
With  considerable  inconvenience  to  himself  he  con- 
veyed some  faithful  teachers  back  and  forth ;  and  in 
this  way  there  grew  up  a  good,  large  school.  Talk 
regarding  a  chapel  soon  began.  Again,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  building  of  Alpha  Chapel,  Bro.  Cros- 
land,  the  pastor,  took  hold  and  worked  with  head 
and  heart  and  hand,  in  company  with  other  willing 
workers,  in  building  what  was  to  become  Mizpah 
Chapel  about  three  miles  from  Bethania  a  little  off 
from  the  road  going  to  Mt.  Airy.  The  Sunday 
School  moved  into  the  chapel  December  29,  1895, 
and  a  Christmas  tree  entertainment  was  held  on  the 
night  of  the  following  day.  On  Sunday,  June  10, 
1896,  Bro.  Crosland  preached  his  first  sermon  in  the 
new  building. 

A  protracted  meeting  began  July  18,  1896,  which 
led  to  the  reception  of  thirty-one  members  on  the 
day  of  consecration,  September  13,  1896. 

Bro.  L.  R.  Anderson  succeeded  Bro.  Lash  as  Sun- 
day School  superintendent  and  was  himself  follow- 
ed by  Bro.  A.  A.  Helsabeck,  the  present  superin- 
tendent. 

Several  revival  meetings  of  unusual  interest  have 
helped  to  establish  Mizpah  as  a  promising  field  of  the 
Bethania  congregation. 


28 


BETHANIA 


OLIVET  CHAPEL 


MIZPAH  CHAPEL 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL 


29 


NEW  SCHOOL  HOUSE 


BETHANIA'S  CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE 
CAUSE  OF  EDUCATION* 


'TJT  HOSE  acquainted  with  Moravians  and  Mora- 
le I  I  vian  ways  know  that  their  villages  are  never 
^■^  without  the  church  and  school-house,  and  Be- 
thania  is  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

Of  the  many  who  have  received  their  earliest  train 
ing  in  this  village,  four  have  chosen  teaching  as  their 
life  work.  Let  it  not  be  said  they  are  without  honor 
in  their  own  home  and  among  their  own  kin.  Let 
us  accord  to  them  the  honor  and  recognition  due 
them  and  their  work.  Of  these  four  Miss  Lydia 
Stauber  has  long  since  passed  to  her  reward.  Prof. 
A.  I.  Butner  is  resting  after  a  period  of  work  as 
teacher  covering  more  than  fifty  years.  Miss  Emma 
A.  Lehman  and  Rev.  James  B.  Jones  are  still  work- 


3o  BETHANIA 


ing  away  at  their  chosen  vocation,  both  carrying 
out  the  ideals  of  their  youthful  training — the  com- 
mon heritage  of  the  four — in  systematic,  thorough 
and  consecrated  work. 


MISS  LYDIA  STAUBER. 

^jkt  N  the  year  1824  there  entered  as  teacher  in  Sa- 
Tjl  lem  Academy  a  young  woman  from  Bethania, 
^-^  Miss  Lydia  Stauber.  Unlike  most  young  wo- 
men of  that  day  who  did  not  find  their  lifework  as  wife 
and  mother,  she  was  not  content  to  take  her  place 
with  married  brother  or  sister,  and  live  the  uneventful 
routine  of  country  life.  Though  her  life  was  to  be 
spent  for  others,  her  call  was  to  a  wider  sphere  of 
influence  and  usefulness. 

She  must  have  had  the  independence  of  the  mod- 
ern American  woman,  for  she  went  to  Salem  to  earn 
her  own  livelihood  with  her  needle.  Sewing  and 
teaching  were  the  two  occupations  then  open  to  wo- 
men who  were  brave  enough  to  launch  out  for  them- 
selves, at  a  time  when  a  woman's  place  was  pre-em- 
inently the  home. 

While  working  there,  she  became  imbued  with  the 
desire  to  teach,  and  began  to  fit  herself  for  her  life 
work  by  studying  at  night.  After  due  preparation 
she  was  chosen  as  teacher  in  the  Academy.  For 
more  than  forty  years  she  taught,  gaining  in  the  es- 
teem and  confidence  of  all,  as  the  years  passed  by, 
occupying  at  last  the  position  as  teacher  of  the  Se- 
lect Class — then  the  highest  in  the  school. 

In  1876  she  resigned  on  account  of  the  infirmi- 
ties of  old  age  and  ill  health,  spending  the  rest  of 
her  days  in  the  quiet  seclusion  of  the  Sister's  House 
where  she  died  in  1880,  after  a  useful,  well-spent  life 
full  of  good  work,  faithfully  done — an  honor  to  her 
sex,  her  people  and  her  native  village. 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  31 


MISS  EMMA  A.  LEHMAN* 


A 


MONG  the  gifts  be- 
stowed on  man  we 
read  in  Holy  Writ  of 
the  gift  of  teaching.  Miss 
Emma  A.  Lehman  whose 
chosen  work  is  teaching, 
possesses  this  gift  to  a  re- 
markable degree.  When 
quite  a  child  she  gave 
promise  of  being  a  brilliant 
woman,  and  has  made  good 
that  promise.  She  was 
sent  to  the  Academy  at  the 
age  of  thirteen  and  finished  the  course  at  sixteen. 
In  the  August  following  at  the  earnest  solicitation 
of  an  old  friend,  Dr.  Beverly  Jones,  who  recognized 
her  intelligence  and  ability,  she  took  charge  of  a 
public  school  near  Bethania  where  she  taught  boys 
almost  as  old  as  herself.  The  wisdom  of  this  selec- 
tion was  soon  apparent  in  the  way  she  conducted 
her  school.  Afterwards  she  taught  at  the  home  of 
her  uncle  near  Pilot  Mountain.  In  1864  she  entered 
the  Academy  as  teacher  and  from  that  time  until  the 
present  has  taught  continuously  in  the  College. 
Since  1878  she  has  had  charge  of  the  Senior  Class. 
Easily  mastering  any  branch  of  study  she  chose  to 
teach,  she  met  with  success  in  various  departments 
of  college  work,  but  in  these  last  years  has  devoted 
all  her  time  to  English  Literature  and  kindred  bran- 
ches. 

She  has  done  her  good  work  quietly,  thoroughly 
and  systematically,  as  becomes  her  good  Moravian 


32  BETHANIA 


training,  instilling  in  her  pupils  the  principles  of  true 
education — not  alone  the  getting  of  knowledge,  but 
the  development  of  the  highest  type  of  the  true  wo- 
man in  character  and  intellect.  Conscientious  in 
her  devotion  to  her  work,  she  has  widened  her  sphere 
of  usefulness,  and  is  now  recognized  as  one  of  the 
foremost  educators  in  the  State.  She  inspires  her 
pupils  with  the  love  of  the  good,  the  beautiful,  the 
true, — greatest  incentives  to  study.  She  is  quick  to 
see  in  each  one  the  different  faculties  to  be  devel- 
oped, teaching  them  to  help  themselves.  The  desire 
of  a  pupil  to  study  and  improve  herself,  meets  with 
immediate  and  helpful  response  from  Miss  Lehman. 
She  knows  her  pupils  better  than  they  know  them- 
selves. 

Always  a  good  disciplinarian,  she  commands  their 
respect,  inspires  their  confidence  and  love,  and  many, 
many  are  her  'old  girls'  all  over  the  South  who  re- 
member with  feelings  of  affection  their  old  teacher, 
and  the  time  spent  under  her  guiding  hand. 

In  the  midst  of  her  busy  school  life,  replete  with 
almost  endless  duties  for  a  conscientious  teacher,  she 
still  finds  time  for  literary  work  and  wields  a  facile 
and  versatile  pen,  as  a  little  volume  of  her  poems, 
published  by  the  Grafton  press  of  New  York  in  1904 
will  attest.  These  poems  show  the  love  of  God  and 
nature  permeating  them,  lifting  thought  to  higher 
and  better  things.  They  are  the  ripening  of  the  deep 
spiritual  nature  of  the  woman.  She  has  written 
poems  for  various  publications — this  little  volume 
being  selections  from  them.  In  1889  sne  spent  the 
summer  in  Europe  with  a  party  of  N.  C.  teachers 
and  a  very  interesting  sketch  of  her  travels  was  pub- 
lished on  her  return. 

She  is  a  fine  botanist  and  discovered  a  new  plant 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  33 


which  she  sent  to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  to  the  State  Bot- 
anist's office.  This  plant  is  named  for  her  Mono- 
tropsis  Lehmani.  May  she  long  live  to  commune 
with  nature  and  nature's  God,  and  give  of  the  great 
talents  with  which  He  has  blessed  her  to  her  sisters 
all  over  our  land.  They  in  turn  will  impart  this 
knowledge  and  training  to  another  generation,  and 
the  influence  of  this  good  and  brilliant  woman  will 
be  a  continuous  call  to  higher  and  better  things  in 
the  lives  of  our  people.  To  quote  from  her  beautiful 
poem  "The  Silent  Village,"  may  the  Master  say  to 
her  for  yet  many  years 

' '  The  time  is  not  yet 

Tis  scarcely  noon — there  are  foes  to  be  met — 

Thy  work  is  still  to  be  done 

The  evening  will  brine  thee  home. ' ' 


34 


BETHANIA 


PROF,  A.  L  BUTNER- 


¥ 


ROF.  ALBERT  I. 
BUTNER,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Bethania  in 
September,  1822.  His  first 
teacher  was  the  Rev.  J.  C. 
Jacobson  who  was  pastor 
in  Bethania  at  that  time. 
In  1833  he  was  sent  to  the 
Boys'  School  at  Salem  and 
four  years  later  to  Nazareth 
Hall,  Penn.,  where  he  com- 
pleted the  course  at  the 
Theological  Seminary,  then  connected  with  Nazareth 
Hall,  graduating  with  honor  before  his  twentieth 
birthday. 

He  began  his  career  as  teacher  in  the  Boys'  School 
at  Salem  that  fall,  teaching  there  till  1849.  For  a 
year  or  more  he  taught  in  Yadkin  County,  also  for 
a  while  in  Bethania  during  the  fifties,  going  to  Col- 
umbus County  in  1853  where  he  took  charge  of 
Whiteville  Academy.  He  came  back  to  his  native 
village  to  live  in  1873,  where  soon  after  he  took  up 
the  work  of  teaching,  and  for  thirty  years  labored 
faithfully  in  his  chosen  field. 

He  soon  built  up  a  first-class  school  by  competent, 
thorough  work,  his  pupils  coming  from  various  parts 
of  this  and  other  counties  without  solicitation  on  his 
part,  his  good  teaching  being  his  only  advertisement. 

In  later  years  the  public  school  of  the  district  was 
moved  to  Bethania,  and  he  had  charge  of  it  till  1903, 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  35 


when  he  resigned  owing  to  the  physical  infirmities 
of  advancing  years. 

He  filled  with  great  efficiency  the  position  of  Su- 
perintendent of  Public  Schools  of  Forsyth  County, 
for  a  number  of  years,  making  one  of  the  best  Su- 
perintendents the  county  ever  had. 

All  of  his  pupils  as  they  have  grown  in  years  and 
wisdom,  realize  his  great  ability  as  a  teacher.  In  his 
school  were  pupils  of  all  grades,  from  children  of 
tender  years  to  grown  young  men  and  women.  He 
had  the  gift  of  teaching,  knowing  how  to  impart  his 
knowledge,  and  keep  his  pupils  interested  in  the  sub- 
ject under  consideration,  explaining  patiently  and 
clearly  all  knotty  questions.  He  was  alike  kind  and 
impartial  to  all. 

His  curriculum  included  all  branches  of  study  from 
the  A-B-C  primer  to  the  advanced  English  course, 
from  elementary  Arithmetic  to  higher  mathematics, 
besides  giving  lessons  in  German  and  Latin.  The 
"blue-back"  speller  was  in  daily  evidence.  Great 
stress  was  laid  upon  learning  to  read  well,  reading 
being  one  of  the  daily  classes  taught.  He  instilled 
the  love  of  the  good  and  beautiful  in  literature,  occa- 
sionally reading  aloud  selections  from  the  Prophets, 
Psalms  and  Proverbs.  The  nineteenth  Psalm  was  a 
favorite  of  his,  and  how  beautifully  and  with  what  ex- 
pression and  feeling  he  would  read  it !  Often  he 
would  quote  from  the  poets,  notably  from  Burns  and 
Byron  and  memory  still  recalls  among  many  others, 
these  lines  from  Childe  Harold's  Pilgrimage — 

"  There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night 
And   Belgium's   capital   had   gathered    there 
Her  beauty  and  her  chivalry,  and  bright 
The  lamps  shone  o  'er  fair  women  and  brave  men ; 
A  thousand  hearts  beat  happily" — 


36  BETHANIA 


and  ours  would  beat  but  not  happily,  when  after  be- 
ing transported  to  Belgium's  capital  where  we  heard 
the  music  and  dancing  and  the  cannon's  roar,  we 
came  back  to  the  little  school  room  and  the  lesson, 
having  forgotten  it  meantime.  That  meant 
coming  after  in  recess  until  we  had  mastered  it,  what- 
ever it  was.  It  meant  "line  upon  line"  in  memory 
and  NOT  on  paper. 

Pupils  who  went  from  his  school  were  thoroughly 
grounded,  and  well  advanced  in  their  studies.  Cor- 
poral punishment  was  so  seldom  resorted  to  that  it 
gave  a  touch  out  of  the  common  (not  alone  to  him 
who  was  touched)  but  to  all,  something  out  of  the 
daily  routine,  long  to  be  remembered.  He  maintain- 
ed good  discipline  and  his  pupils  respected  and  liked 
him.  So  thorough  was  he  in  his  work  that  pupils 
were  required  to  give  any  rule  they  had  learned  for 
which  he  might  call,  also  the  tables  of  weights  and 
measures.  Beginners  were  taught  the  four  elemen- 
tary rules  in  arithmetic  and  made  to  work  and  prove 
all  examples  he  gave,  before  beginning  to  use  the 
arithmetic.  Certainly  there  were  no  short  cuts  to 
learning  in  his  school.  The  multiplication  table  was 
not  considered  known  unless  the  pupil  could  come 
down  the  ladder  backward  from  twelve,  as  gracefully 
and  glibly  as  he  or  she  could  scale  it  from  one  up- 
ward. 

Although  he  has  passed  the  four  score  mark,  being 
now  eighty-eight  years  of  age,  he  is  still  mentally  as 
bright  and  alert  as  when  he  dealt  out  knowledge  and 
waged  war  on  ignorance,  in'  the  little  white  school- 
house  on  the  corner.  That  has  given  place  to  another 
building  and  is  slowly  going  to  decay  on  a  back 
street.  The  little  bell  that  hung  in  its  belfry  and 
wakened  the  echoes  in  the  encircling  hills  around  Be- 
thania,  (though  its  tones  are  as  clear  as  the  day  it 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL  37 


came  in  1763),  is  now  a  relic  of  the  past.  The 
Teacher  (than  whom  there  was  not  a  better  in  his 
day).,  though  in  years  belonging  to  a  past  generation, 
is  still  remarkably  active  for  one  of  his  age  and  takes 
exercise  about  the  home  that  would  tire  many  young- 
er men.  He  is  greatly  interested  in  the  church  and 
church  work,  in  all  public  questions  and  current 
events  of  the  day,  finding  great  pleasure  in  reading 
good  magazines  and  newspapers.  He  is  still  fond 
of  history  and  the  old  Latin  classics,  reading  them 
with  thorough  enjoyment  by  the  hour.  When  not 
reading  he  still  keeps  busy  in  many  useful  ways  about 
the  home,  the  old  Moravian  habits  of  industry  and 
thrift  that  were  a  part  of  his  youthful  training,  still 
clinging  to  him.  The  evening  of  his  life  is  passing 
peacefully  in  his  native  village,  among  those  who  love 
him  and  those  he  loves,  like  the  close  of  a  calm, 
beautiful  day.  In  thinking  of  his  life  one  is  reminded 
of  this  passage  from  Job,  ''Thou  shalt  come  to  thy 
grave  in  a  full  age,  like  as  a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in 
in  his  season." 


38 


BETHANIA 


REV*  JAMES  B-  JONES 


A 


T  the  beginning  of 
the  Civil  War  James 
B.  Jones,  a  youth  of 
fourteen  years,  came  home 
from  Nazareth  Hall,  Perm., 
where  he  had  been  attend- 
ing the  Moravian  school  for 
boys.  He  continued  his 
studies  at  home  for  a  year 
or  two,  and  later  taught 
for  a  short  while,  his  young- 
er brothers  and  several 
other  children  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. Early  in  1864  he  enlisted  in  the  army  as 
a  Junior  Reserve  in  Company  A,  First  N.  C.  Bat- 
tallion,  and  was  in  active  service  until  Lee's  surren- 
der at  Appomattox  Court  House,  making  his  way 
home  on  foot  with  a  number  of  other  soldiers  after 
the  surrender. 

In  the  fall  of  '65  he  went  to  Kentucky  where  he 
was  employed  in  the  cement  mill  of  his  uncle,  the 
late  W.  A.  Hauser,  of  Louisville.  While  here  he  de- 
termined to  attend  Kentucky  University  and  pre- 
pare himself  for  the  ministry  of  the  Christian  church 
of  which  he  had  been  a  member  for  several  years. 
He  graduated  in  1873  in  the  college  of  the  Bible  and 
also  in  the  College  of  Arts,  and  for  sixteen  years  de- 
voted his  time  to  the  ministry,  until  failing  health 
compelled  him  to  go  into  another  branch  of  church 
work.  For  more  than  two  years  he  was  financial 
agent  of  the  Board  of  Missions  for  the  Christian 
church  of  that  state,  and  was  also  a  member  of  the 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL  39 

executive  committee  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
Kentucky  University.  In  189 1  he  began  teaching 
in  Hamilton  College,  Lexington,  Kentucky,  a  church 
school  for  girls.  In  1896  he  was  offered  the  presi- 
dency of  Christian  Orphan  School  of  Fulton,  Mis- 
souri. When  he  took  charge  of  this  school  it  was 
very  much  in  debt  and  though  he  knew  nothing  of 
this  when  accepting  it,  having  put  his  hand  to  the 
plow  he  did  not  turn  back.  He  has  had  charge  of 
the  school  for  fourteen  years  and  in  this  time  the 
patronage  and  faculty  have  been  doubled,  and  the 
course  extended.  Several  modern  buildings  have 
been  erected,  notably  a  fine  auditorium  and  new  dor- 
mitory, while  the  grounds  have  been  enlarged  and 
beautified.  Through  his  efficient  management  and 
the  generosity  of  Dr.  W.  S.  Woods,  of  Kansas  City, 
whose  name  it  now  bears,  a  large  number  of  girls  are 
educated  gratuitously  each  year.  Daughters  of  mis- 
sionaries are  educated  here,  and  several  William 
Woods  College  alumnae  are  now  in  foreign  fields  as 
missionaries. 

Much  of  the  success  in  his  chosen  work  he  attrib- 
utes to  his  early  training  under  Moravian  influ- 
ences. 


40 


BETHANIA 


o 


I 


SESQUI-CENTEN  X I A L  41 

SKETCH  OF  BETHANIA  FOR  THE 
SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  IN  1909. 


BY  MISS  E.  A*  LEHMAN 


^j^%  ETHANIA,  from  its  very  first  inception,  had 
IJfi  a  cuffcrent  individuality  from  any  other  Mora- 
'^  vian  settlement  in  Wachovia.  Count  Zinzen- 
dorf  is  said  to  have  remarked  that  he  feared  it  was 
the  entering  wedge,  that  would  end  in  doing  away 
with  Moravian  exclusiveness. 

During  the  troubled  times  of  the  Indian  wars,  a 
number  of  people  had  refugeed  to  Bethabara,  around 
the  mill,  where  palisades  had  been  put  up,  as  a  pro- 
tection. One  of  our  immediate  ancestors  fled  from 
an  Indian  outbreak  on  New  River  with  an  infant  of 
two  days  in  arms,  and,  with  her  friends,  arrived  in 
Bethabara  on  foot. 

These  refugees  were  not  favorably  inclined  towards 
the  common  house-keeping,  or  choir  arrangements  at 
Bethabara,  its  communism.  It  was  with  the  idea  of 
accommodating  them,  that  Bishop  Spangenberg  and 
several  others  selected  the  locality  of  Bethania,  where 
friends  of  the  church,  as  well  as  members,  could  be 
allowed  to  locate  themselves.  On  Tuesday,  June 
12,  1759,  Spangenberg,  his  wife,  and  Bishop  Seidel, 
Jacob  Lash,  and  Renter,  the  surveyor,  repaired  to 
the  Black  Walnut  Bottom,  3  miles  north  of  Be- 
thabara, and  there  agreed  upon  the  site  of  Bethania. 
A  survey  was  made  in  the  centre  of  which  there  was 
to  be  a  square,  280  feet  by  165  containing  the  church, 
and  other  public  buildings.  This  square  was,  how- 
ever, discontinued,  because  cattle  were  grazed  there, 


BETHANIA 


and  it  became  later,  unsafe  for  the  children.  Twelve 
lots  were  laid  out  above,  and  12  below  the  square. 
The  upper  lots  were  to  be  given  to  friends  of  the 
church,  not  as  yet,  full  members,  but  the  lower  ones 
should  be  given  only  to  genuine,  true-blue  Mora- 
vians,— charter  members  as  it  were.  In  conse- 
quence of  this  arrangement,  the  lower  lots  were 
again  divided,  so  as  to  form  18,  instead  of  12 — and 
they  are  smaller  to  this  day.  They  set  apart,  for 
each  lot,  a  proportionate  quantity  of  bottom  and  up- 
land, so  that  each  lot  was  equally  valuable.  Some  2000 
acres  were  set  apart  for  the  use  of  the  congregation. 

The  8  married  couples  who  settled  in  the  lower  part 
of  town  were  Godfrey  Grabs,  Balthasar  Hege,  Chris- 
tian Opiz,  Christopher  Schmidt,  John  Beroth,  Adam 
Kramer,  Michael  Rank,  and  Henry  Bieffel.  They 
formed  the  nucleus  of  the  new  settlement.  They 
began  to  fell  trees  July  10,  1759;  on  the  15th  the  lots 
were  distributed  by  lot,  and  on  the  18th  Grabs,  with 
his  wife  and  little  son  William,  occupied  the  first 
house. 

A  contract  was  entered  into  with  the  following 
friends  and  neighbors,  who  according  to  their  re- 
quest, should  be  allowed  to  occupy  the  lots  above  the 
church,  they  were  Michael  Spoenhour,  John  Strub, 
Philip  Shaus,  and  the  widower  Frederick  Shore,  and 
his  son  Henry.  Renter,  the  surveyor,  was,  at  once, 
sent  to  lay  out  a  road  to  the  Bethabara  mill.  The 
next  day  Seidel,  the  minister,  Jacob  Lash,  and  eight 
others  started  early  from  Bethabara,  and  got 
lost,  but  finally,  after  much  halloing,  they  were 
set  right  again.  The  German  names  of  both 
Bethabara  and  Bethania  proving  too  hard  to  pro- 
nounce, by  English  speaking  friends,  Bethabara 
was  soon  called  by  them  "the  ( )ld  Town,"  while 
Bethania  became  the  New  Town.       The  name  "Sa- 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  43 


lem"  later  was  more  readily  pronounced,  and  there- 
fore retained  its  original  form. 

The  main  street  of  Bethania  was  laid  out,  66  feet 
wide ;  cross  streets  or  lanes  were  laid  out,  at  regular 
intervals,  3  on  each  side.  The  Bethabara  friends  were 
to  work  on  the  houses,  while  the  Bethania  citizens 
were  to  prepare  the  ground  for  cultivation.  During 
these  first  days,  the  terrible  epidemic  of  typhus  fever 
came  to  Bethabara,  and  12  new-made  graves  on  the 
hill  side,  of  their  best  men  and  women,  made  a  great 
gap  in  the  heroic  little  band.  Seidel  the  minister, 
who  was  at  Bethania,  assisting  wherever  he  could, 
was  called  home  to  Bethabara  by  the  illness  of  his 
wife,  who  died  in  a  few  days,  and  the  devoted  hus- 
band died  very  soon  thereafter.  Kalberlahn,  the 
skillful  physician  also  departed.  Truly,  "God  buries 
his  workmen,  but  his  work  goes  on." 

By  April,  1760,  ten  houses  had  been  built  in  Be- 
thania, and  occupied,  and  the  first  meeting-house  was 
consecrated,  on  the  south-west  corner  of  the  square, 
where  Oehman's  cooper-shop  stood.  This  church 
was  a  small  frame  structure  used  till  1771  when  the 
second  floor  of  the  so-called  Congregation  House 
was  consecrated  as  the  second  place  of  worship,  while 
the  minister's  family  occupied  the  first  floor.  The 
third  and  last  real  church,  this  one,  was  dedicated  in 
1809,  one  hundred  years  ago. 

A  graveyard  was  laid  out,  on  the  hill,  east  of  the 
square,  and  on  April  23,  1760,  the  first  funeral  took 
place,  the  infant  daughter  of  George  Hauser,  the  first 
seed  thus  sown  in  a  spot  where  so  many  dear  ones 
have  been  laid,  since  that  time.  Bishop  Spangen- 
berg,  on  bended  knees  offered  a  fervent  dedicatory 
prayer.  Spangenberg  was  a  great  man.  A  noted 
authority  stated,  that  the  three  greatest  Moravians 
after  Zinzendorf  were  Comenius,  the  model  educator, 


44  BETHANIA 


Zeisberger  the  model  missionary,  and  Spangenberg 
the  model  administrator.  The  first  child  baptized  was 
John  Shore,  son  of  Henry  and  Barbara  Shore,  June 
22,  1760,  by  Brother  Ettwein,  in  a  public  service. 

The  first  place  of  worship  proving  too  small,  the 
laying  of  the  cornerstone  of  the  second,  or  Congre- 
gation House  took  place  on  Monday,  March  19, 
1770.  Bethren  and  friends  from  Bethabara,  Salem,  and 
vicinity,  together  with  members  and  friends  of  the 
congregation,  more  than  300,  assembled  to  witness 
the  solemnity.  The  old  meeting-house  being  too  small 
they  moved  into  the  garden  in  front  of  where  the 
new  house  was  to  stand,  and  the  services  began  at 
11  o'clock.  Brother  Marshall  read  the  inscription  to 
be  placed  in  the  cornerstone. 

"In  the  year  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ, 
1770,  in  the  10th  year  of  the  reign  of  our  most  gra- 
cious king,  George  3rd,  King  of  Great  Britain,  on 
the  19th  day  of  March  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  and 
ever  glorious  Trinity,  the  cornerstone  of  this  Con- 
gregation House  was  laid.  The  Moravian  village  of 
Bethania  was  begun  eleven  years  ago,  in  the  dis- 
trict called  Wachovia,  which  the  Brethren  had  just 
begun  to  occupy.  It  was  during  the  Indian  war,  but 
still,  by  the  gracious  favor  of  our  Lord  the  number 
of  adults  and  children  of  the  congregation  as  well  as 
of  neighbors  agreeing  with  the  doctrines  taught  by 
the  brethren  did  increase  so  much,  that  the  building 
used  as  a  meeting  house  being  too  small,  this  corner- 
stone was  solemnly  laid.  The  texts  for  the  day  were 
given,  then  followed  the  names  of  all  the  ministers 
in  Wachovia,  and  all  the  members  and  children  of 
the  congregation  in  and  around  Bethania.  May  the 
Lord  and  His  spirit  come  to  dwell  here.  As  Be- 
thania was  commenced  that  it  might  be  dedicated  to 
the    Lord,   so   may   he  cause   this  house   to  prove   a 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  45 


blessing  to  old  and  young',  to  become  a  beacon  light 
directing  many  souls  to  the  knowledge  of  God,  and 
be  gathered  into  the  bundle  of  God's  elect." 

This  description  was  put  into  a  leaden  box  and 
firmly  soldered  by  Brother  Valentin  Beck.  The  as- 
sembly then  moved  in  procession  to  the  spot  selected 
for  the  new  building,  when  they  formed  a  circle,  the 
children  in  the  centre.  After  singing,  Melchoir  Rasp, 
assisted  by  the  Master  Mason  adjusted  the  corner- 
stone in  the  front  corner  north,  and  put  the  box  into 
the  opening  prepared  for  it  in  the  stone.  Bro.  Graff 
placed  another  stone  on  it,  and  stepping  thereon,  of- 
fered a  fervent  prayer,  closing  with  the  benediction. 

After  a  short  interval  all  assembled  again  in  the 
garden  to  celebrate  a  love-feast  of  bread  and  wine 
mixed  with  water.  It  was  a  happy  meeting,  making 
a  pleasing  impression  on  all  that  were  present.  Un- 
til the  year  185 1  the  annual  Church  Festival  was 
held  on  the  Sunday  nearest  this  day  March  19,  when 
on  account  of  unpleasant  weather  so  often  prevailing 
so  early  in  the  year,  it  was  transferred  to  the  Sunday 
nearest  to  June  12.  On  Sunday,  June  23,  1771,  this 
second  meeting-house  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  the 
service  of  Almighty  God. 

The  new  house  was  built  on  high  ground,  almost 
directly  opposite  to  the  old  one,  which  stood  in  a 
low  place,  and  being  built  without  proper  foundation, 
so  much  loose  earth  had  been  washed  towards  it, 
by  every  rain,  that  it  had  risen  above  the  threshold ; 
necessarily,  the  dwelling  room,  and  adjoining  prayer 
hall  were  sunk  so  deep  into  the  ground  as  to  be  un- 
fit for  use.  At  length,  after  a  year  and  a  half,  the 
new  building  was  completed.  This  length  of  time 
required,  was  a  matter  of  course,  because  the  mem- 
bers had  done  almost  all  the  work  with  their  own 
hands,  having  only  a  few  pounds  sterling     at     their 


4^  BETHANIA 


command,  as  might  have  been  expected  of  a  congre- 
gation mostly  of  poor  people. 

The  consecration  services  were  largely  attended 
by  members  of  the  conference,  friends  and  members 
from  Salem  and  Bethabara,  many  having  assisted 
in  the  building  of  the  house  with  their  own  hands. 
These  all  met  at  9  o'clock  in  front  of  the  old  meet- 
ing-house, and  moved  in  procession  to  the  second 
story  of  the  New  House  to  have  their  first  meeting 
in  the  new  prayer  hall.  They  were  accompanied  by 
musicians,  and  after  a  short  address,  all  bowed  the 
knee,  and  Brother  Graff  offered  up  a  prayer.  The 
next  meeting  was  preaching,  preceded  by  the  Litany. 
At  1  p.  m.,  the  love  feast  was  held,  220  being  pres- 
ent. During  the  afternoon  Bro.  Marshall  kept  a 
meeting  for  the  children  in  the  room  intended  as  a 
school  room.  The  festival  meetings  closed  with  the 
Holy  Communion. 

In  1760  David  Bishop  and  his  wife  moved  to  Be- 
thania  from  Bethabara  to  attend  to  the  daily  meet- 
ings, but  the  preaching  of  the  word,  and  the  sacra- 
ments were  for  several  years,  attended  to  by  breth- 
ren from  Bethabara,  such  as  Backhoff,  Ettwein, 
Ernst,  Graff,  Wolle  and  Tiersch.  Bishop  died  in 
Bethabara  1763  aged  60  years.  In  the  latter  half 
of  1773,  the  Bethania  congregation  was  regularly 
organized  ;  a  committee  took  the  Salem  Statutes,  as 
a  guide,  and  formulated  a  constitution  for  themsel- 
ves. On  Oct  17,  1773,  Bro.  Ernst  and  his  wife 
were  regularly  ordained  to  keep  all  the  festival  ser- 
vices and  sacraments,  laid  down  in  the  text  book. 

This  Congregation  House  faced  South,  the  gable 
ends  being  East  and  West ;  the  entrance  door,  oppo- 
site Mr.  Grabs'  former  residence  was  at  the  south- 
west corner,  a  small  roof  protecting  it.  As  you  en- 
tered, you  came  into  a  short  hall  where  one   flight 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  47 


of  stairs  led  up  the  south  side,  by  which  the  brethren 
went  up  into  a  similar  hall,  and  thence  into  the 
prayer  hall,  which  occupied  the  whole  second  floor 
except  two  small  rooms  on  the  east  side,  one  a  guest 
room,  the  other  a  school  room. 

A  similar  flight  of  stairs  on  the  north  side  led  to 
the  women's  side  of  the  prayer  hall.  A  large  tile 
stove  stood  between  the  two  doors  ;  these,  and  all 
the  other  doors  had  long  wooden  latches.  In  the 
lower  hall  hung  a  rope,  by  which  the  bell  was  rung. 
This  bell  was  brought  to  Bethania  in  1763,  and  hung 
in  a  small  turret  on  the  building.  It  was  later  used 
on  the  school  house,  and  it  now  remains  a  valued 
relic  of  by-gone  days  to  be  treasured  along  with  the 
first  chair  used  by  the  minister,  etc. 

The  pastor's  part  of  the  Congregation  House  must 
have  been  rather  circumscribed.  There  were  two 
large  rooms  to  the  right  of  the  entrance  hall,  and  a 
kitchen  in  the  rear.  This  building  served  as  a  sec- 
ond place  of  worship  from  1771  to  1809,  when  our 
present  church  was  built.  It  served  as  a  parsonage 
till  185 1,  when  it  was  torn  down,  and  the  present  par- 
sonage built.  While  this  last  parsonage  was  being 
built,  Rev.  M.  E.  Grunert  with  his  young  wTife,  lived 
in  the  so-called  yellow  house  ;  this  was  built  for  Rev. 
Mr.  Kluge  who  came  as  assistant  to  Rev.  C.  T.  Pfohl, 
St.,  who  became  unable  to  do  full  service  from  181 3- 
1819.  This  house  stood  near  where  Mr.  Rufus 
Transou's  house  stands.  A  house  for  the  fire  engine 
occupied  the  north-east  corner  of  the  lot. 

On  October  22,  1806,  the  cornerstone  of  our  pres- 
ent church  was  laid,  as  the  old  meeting-hall  was  be- 
coming quite  too  small.  Brethren  and  friends  from 
our  other  congregations  met  in  the  old  prayer  hall 
at  10  a.  m.  Rain  having  continued  for  several  days, 
and  still  not  ceasing,  only  a  few  sisters     could     be 


48  BETHANIA 


present.  Rev.  G.  Reichel  opened  the  services  by 
singing ;  then  in  a  short  address  he  stated  why  the 
new  building  was  necessary,  and  communicated  what 
was  to  be  inserted  in  the  cornerstone,  viz :  The  texts 
for  the  day,  and  "In  the  name  of  God  the  Father,  the 
Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  year  of  the  birth  of 
our  Saviour  i8c6,  Oct.  22,  in  the  31st  year  of  the  In- 
dependence of  the  United  States  of  America. 
Thomas  Jefferson  being  President  of  the  United 
States  in  the  53rd  year  of  the  settling  of  the  first 
members  of  the  church  of  the  United  Brethren  in 
North  America,  in  the  48th  year  since  the  beginning 
of  Bethania,  the  foundation  of  the  church  for  the 
use  of  the  congregation  of  the  United  Brethren  set- 
tled in  and  near  Bethania,  is  laid  in  a  solemn  man- 
ner, in  the  presence  of  said  congregation,  and  their 
children,  and  with  the  best  wishes  of  the  Brethren's 
congregations  in  North  Carolina,  in  Salem,  Be- 
thabara,  Friedland,  Hope,  and  of  our  brothers  and 
sisters  in  Spring  place,  in  the  Cherokee  country  etc." 
Thereupon  he  read  the  names  of  the  members  of  the 
different  conferences,  the  bishops  and  ministers  of 
the  country  congregations,  and  of  the  members  and 
children  of  this  congregation. 

All  of  these  documents  together  with  a  Liturgy 
Book  being  put  into  a  brass  box,  it  was  placed  upon 
the  minister's  table,  and  soldered,  during  the  singing. 
Then,  all  who  could  conveniently  do  so,  formed  in  or- 
der, and  proceeded  to  the  spot  where  the  building 
was  to  be  put  up.  Rev.  G.  Reichel  headed  the  pro- 
cession with  Benzien,  Peter,  and  Pfohl,  the  latter 
carrying  the  box.  Then  followed  the  Salem  Confer- 
ence, the  brethren  and  boys.  Owing  to  the  copious 
rain,  which  had  made  the  corner  very  muddy  and 
slifc^perv  the  sisters  remained  in  the  ,old  building  where 
tnW  could  all  hear,  and  many  could  see  the  proceed- 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL  49 


ings.  The  church  band  rendered  the  scene  more 
solemn  by  playing  chorals. 

After  singing,  Rev.  G.  Reichel  said:  "In  the  name 
of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  we  now 
lay  the  cornerstone  of  a  meeting  house  to  be  built  on 
this  spot.  While  putting  the  box  which  Rev.  C.  Pfohl 
handed  him  into  the  place  cut  in  a  large  stone,  and 
lying  at  the  south-west  corner,  he  added,  "May  the 
Saviour's  blood  and  righteousness  be  the  glory  of 
this  house."  During  the  singing  which  followed, 
Benzien,  Peter,  Pfohl,  and  John  Christian  Lash  cov- 
ered the  cornerstone  with  another  stone,  which  was 
fastened  by  the  master  mason, — Abraham  Lash, 
Reichel,  and  each  of  the  four  brethren  mentioned, 
struck  the  stone  three  times  with  the  hammer.  Then, 
Rev.  G.  Reichel,  stepping  on  the  stone  offered  up  a 
fervent  prayer.  After  singing  the  doxology,  the 
solemn  services  were  concluded. 

On  March  19,  1809  the  church  was  consecrated. 
The  Conference,  and  many  friends  came,  so  that  the 
new  church  was  crowded.  Bro.  Reichel  held  Ger- 
man preaching  in  the  morning  at  10  o'clock;  at  1 
o'clock  Bro.  Benzien  preached  in  English,  and  at  8 
o'clock  p.  m.,  the  congregation  and  friends  met  with 
Rev.  Simon  Peter.  The  next  day,  March  20,  1809 
the  congregation  and  friends  met  to  celebrate  their 
jubilee,  the  50th  anniversary  of  the  place.  By  the 
tender  mercy  of  our  God,  their  children's  children 
met  in  the  same  place  on  March  20th,  1909^0  begin 
the  celebration  of  their  Sesqui-Centennial,  100  years 
having  been  added  to  the  50. 

In  their  jubilee,  in  1809,  Reichel  held  the  festival 
service.  After  that  Bro.  Benzien  held  a  meeting  in 
which  the  sister  Catherine  Spoenhour  and  the  girl 
Rebecca  Spoenhour  were  received  into  the  congrega- 
tion.    In  the  afternoon,  at  2  o'clock  a  love  feast  was 


3ETHANIA 


held  by  Bro.  Reichel.  Afterwards,  a  service  for  the 
communicants  by  Bro.  Benzien,  where  they  partook 
of  the  cup  of  covenant  (Kelch.)  At  night,  the  ser- 
vices closed  with  Liturgy  No.  9. 

The  century  from  1809  to  1909  lies  before  us,  with 
its  varied  experiences  of  joy  and  sorrow.  During 
the  first  50  years,  the  fathers  had  to  contend  with 
Indian  outbreaks,  with  the  Revolutionary  War,  dur- 
ing which  among  other  hardships  and  troubles,  an 
army  of  7,000  British  Regulars,  under  Lord  Corn- 
wallis,  coming  by  way  of  the  Shallow  Ford  on  Feb- 
ruary 9th,  1 78 1,  spent  the  night  in  Bethania,  Corn- 
wallis  and  his  staff  occupying  the  house  now  owned 
by  Prof.  A.  I.  Butner,  earlier  known  as  Henry  or 
(Saddler)  Hauser's.  Devastation  and  destruction,  of 
course,  followed,  23  fine  horses  were  carried  off,  the 
pastor  Ernst,  being  strictly  held  as  a  hostage  till 
they  were  forthcoming.  Martin  Hauser,  from 
Munpolgard,  Switzerland,  with  his  two  married 
sons,  was  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  upper  part 
of  Bethania.  George  Hauser  lived  in  the  house  now 
occupied  by  Prof.  A.  I.  Butner  and  was  the  inn-keep- 
er of  the  village  when  Cornwallis  and  his  army  pass- 
ed through.  As  the  British  left  Bethania,  driving 
before  them  everything  that  could  walk  but  people, 
a  horse  they  had  taken  came  galloping  back  rider- 
less with  bridle  and  saddle  upon  it.  Annie  Hauser, 
daughter  of  George  Hauser,  seeing  the  horse,  ran 
into  the  street,  caught  the  animal,  unbuckled  the 
saddle  and  carried  it  in  doors  and  hid  it,  and  led 
the  horse  into  the  stable  through  a  side  lot  as 
quickly  and  quietly  as  possible  for  fear  some  soldiers 
might  then  be  searching  for  it.  She  no  doubt  en- 
joyed the  capture  that  her  bravery  had  regained  for 
it  was  her  father's  own  horse.  Every  live  creature 
fit  for  food,  that  could  be  found,  was  killed,  and  of- 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  Si 


ten  thrown  aside,  wasted.  One  of  our  old  people 
told  how  she  and  her  companions  in  walking-  out 
next  morning,  saw  wagon  loads  of  beef  just  killed, 
and  wantonly  thrown  aside.  The  older  women  were 
kept  busy  all  night,  baking  and  cooking  for  the 
soldiers,  who  sometimes  snatched  the  bread  half- 
baked  from  the  large  ovens.  Mrs.  Strub  going 
across  the  street  to  her  father's,  on  her  return, 
found  her  house  turned  into  a  hospital,  filled  with 
straw,  and  occupied  by  as  many  wounded  soldiers 
as  could  be  piled  in.  Fires  were  built  all  around 
barns,  and  everywhere,  and  but  for  the  rain  that  fell, 
general  destruction  might  have  ensued.  All  the 
young  women  and  children  were  gathered  in  the 
prayer  hall  of  the  parsonage,  for  safety,  and  they 
were  protected,  by  the  same  faithful  God  who  pro- 
tected their  children,  during  our  late  Civil  War,  when 
Gen.  Stoneman's  Brigade,  passed  through  Bethania 
on  that  memorable  Monday  night  of  April  10,  1865, 
just  as  its  people  were  coming  out  of  their  usual 
Easter  meeting.  Gen.  Stoneman  himself  spent  the 
night  at  Mr.  Elias  Schanb's,  just  next  door  to  the 
place  where  Cornwallis  had  lodged  84  years  before. 
The  Union  soldiers  acted,  not  one  whit  better  than 
the  British  had  done ;  every  house,  except  Mr. 
Schanb's  was  entered  and  ransacked,  and  nearly 
every  horse  taken.  When  our  astonished  and  alarm- 
ed people  came  out  of  church,  the  whole  street, 
from  side  to  side,  was  filled  with  a  surging  mass  of 
men  and  horses.  They  did  not  camp  here,  but  went 
out  to  the  Shallow  Ford,  piloted  by  an  old  colored 
man. 

SCHOOLS. 

Wherever  a  Moravian  settlement  was  founded,  a 
place  of  worship  followed,  as  a  matter  of  course,  and 


BETHANIA 


under  its  shadow,  just  as  naturally,  a  school  house 
was  built.  The  minister  was  the  social,  educational 
as  well  as  religious  autocrat  of  all  such  places. 
Wherever  a  boy  showed  any  desire  for  improvement, 
the  minister  found  some  way.  In  this  way  Eugene 
C.  Lehman,  I.  G.  Lash  and  others  took  lessons  in 
music  from  Rev.  Peter  Wolle,  a  musical  genius  of 
high  culture.  In  1825  as  lads  of  15  years  old,  they 
began  to  play  the  organ  by  turns. 

Before  1820  the  minister  or  his  assistant  probablv 
did  all  the  school  teaching  that  was  done.  Then,  a 
man  named  Peter  Yarrell  taught  there  ;  about  1830 
came  Benjamin  Oppelt,  who  also  painted  in  water- 
colors,  made  his  own  reward  of  merit  cards,  and 
was  evidently  a  man  of  culture.  When  the  present 
church  was  built,  the  old  prayer  hall  became  a  school 
room.  Mrs.  Oehman  who  had  before  her  marriage 
been  one  of  the  first  teachers  of  S.  F.  A.,  taught  a 
good  while.  After  her  death,  teachers  followed  in 
rapid  succession.  A  flourishing  school  was  taught 
for  several  years  under  Mr.  Herman  Ruede,  later  as- 
sisted by  Prof.  Butner  in  the  early  fifties.  Later 
teachers  were  Rev.  Mr.  Baldwin,  Miss  Anderson, 
Miss  M.  Siewers,  E.  A.  Lehman,  Mrs.  Amelia  Reich. 
Then,  Prof.  Butner  taught  for  a  series  of  years.  In 
1897  a  Pythian  Plall  was  built  with  an  addition  for 
a  public  school,  and  now,  within  the  last  two  years 
an  educational  revival  has  set  in. 

A  High  School,  in  connection  with  the  public 
school,  was  opened  by  Prof.  Daniel  in  1908  in  the  to- 
bacco factory  of  the  Kapp  estate  which  led  to  the 
purchase  of  the  former  Pythian  Hall,  and  now,  the 
High  School  building  is  a  credit  to  the  place  as  well 
as  the  intellectual  centre  of  new  life  and  action. 
During  the  second  year  of  its  existence,  in  June  1909, 
the  enrollment  of  pupils  reached  60  while  the  com- 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL  53 


mon  school  swelled  the  number  to  nearly  twice  that 
amount.  The  late  commencement  showed  the  re- 
sults of  the  good  work  done  by  Prof.  Daniel  and  his 
assistants. 

As  to  the  earlier  school  building  while  the  older 
parsonage  was  being  torn  away  the  school  was  car- 
ried on  in  the  colored  church  which  stood  north  east 
of  town.  A  smaller  school  house  was  built  princi- 
pally by  E.  C.  Lehman,  E.  Schaub  and  T.  B.  Lash, 
where  Dr.  Strickland's  office  now  stands.  Later,  it 
was  removed  to  the  rear,  and  a  new  building  took  its 
place,  as  before  stated. 

SUNDAY  SCHOOL. 

Bethania  was  the  pioneer  in  establishing  Sunday 
Schools  in  this  section.  Under  the  fostering  care 
of  Rev.  J.  C.  Jacobson,  a  Sunday  School  was  begun 
there  in  1833.  Salem  had  no  Sunday  School  till 
1849  when  Rev.  G.  F.  Bahnson  first  began  the  work 
there.  In  Bethania,  the  pastor  Rev.  J.  C.  Jacob- 
son,  called  a  meeting  of  members  November  24, 
1833,  to  consider  the  practicability  of  such  a  school, 
and  on  December  3rd  the  school  was  opened  with 
25  scholars  and  ten  teachers,  5  men  and  5  women, 
who  offered  to  attend  alternately  as  desired.  A 
Constitution  was  prepared  and  adopted,  and  a  Board 
of  Officers  elected.  Rev.  J.  C.  Jacobson,  President ; 
H.  H.  Butner,  Vice-President;  Isaac  Lash,  Secre- 
tary, and  Peter  Transou,  Treasurer.  The  time  was 
to  be  from  1  to  3  o'clock,  P.  M.  A  blue  ticket  was 
given  for  attendance,  and  one  for  every  six  verses 
of  scripture,  or  three  verses  of  a  hymn  recited.  Five 
blue  tickets  were  equal  to  a  red  one.  At  the  close 
of  the  quarter,  Reward  Day  came,  and  scholars 
could  buy  books  with  their  tickets.  May  30,  1834, 
the  board  of  officers   and  a  number  of  subscribers 


54  BETHANIA 


met  to  consider  the  beginning  of  a  Sunday  School 
Library.  On  June  ist  the  Library  was  opened;  on 
July  13,  the  school  was  opened  by  Rev.  G.  F.  Bahn- 
son,  successor  to  Rev.  J.  C.  Jacobson  as  pastor. 
Reward  Day,  December  7,  closed  the  first  year  of 
the  Sunday  School  in  Bethania. 

INDUSTRIES  OF  BETHANIA. 

While  Bethania  was  a  farming  community  the 
great  strength  of  its  earlier  settlement  lay  in  the 
trades  and  small  industries  that  were  carried  on. 
There  was  not  a  citizen  who  did  not  have  a  trade 
or  special  occupation,  besides  the  farm  he  cultivated. 
Our  forefathers  were  long-headed,  earnest,  practi- 
cal people,  and  we  do  well  to  consider  if  we  are 
living  up  to  our  ancestry. 

Of  course  mills  were  a  necessity  in  any  new  set- 
tlement so  the  Bethabara  Mill  (whose  first  miller  was 
Jacob  Kapp)  supplied  all  the  country  round  till  1783 
when  the  first  Bethania  Grist  mill  was  begun  and 
completed  in  1784.  It  lay  just  north  of  town,  and 
was  later  bought  by  Abraham  Conrad,  probably  of 
the  church,  in  1822.  Jonas  Warner  was  his  first 
miller.  This  mill  was  burned  down  by  deserters  in 
1865,  and  no  vestige  of  it  remains,  save  a  few  stones. 

Other  mills  followed  in  due  course  of  time.  It 
was  supposed  that  the  Hauser  Mill,  just  below  Be- 
thania, was  one  of  the  earliest,  but  it  was  built  in 
1825  by  Mr.  Henry  Hauser  (usually  termed  Sad- 
dler) under  church  direction.  His  son,  Benjamin, 
kept  it  up  and  at  length  it  was  discontinued  by  his 
son-in-law,  Mr.  William  Leinbach  in  1862. 

The  Kapp  mill  was  built  by  John  B.  Miller,  first 
as  a  saw-mill,  corn-mill  and  wool-carding  machine, 
between  1845  and  1848.     It  was  sold  to  Mr.  Thomas 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  55 


Kapp  in   1852.     He  built  the  grist  mill  in   1855 ;  it 
was  closed  in  1901. 

The  old  Lash  Mill  was  built  by  Abraham  Lash 
as  a  corn-mill.  The  whole  mill  plant  was  consumed 
by  fire  in  1879  or  '80.  The  Lehman  and  Butner  Roll- 
er Mill  was  put  up  in  1899  and  is  still  in  operation. 

THE  LASH  FAMILY. 

The  Lash  family  became  prominent  in  Bethania 
from  the  marked  business  capacity  of  Jacob  Lash 
who  was  born  at  Schoharie,  N.  Y.  in  1722.  His 
father,  George  Lash,  emigrated  from  Germany  to 
N.  Y.  when  only  18  years  old.  Those  early  Lash's 
were  Jacob,  Balthasar,  Herman,  Adam,  George,  and 
six  daughters.  Jacob  Lash  was  in  the  first  com- 
pany that  came  to  Bethabara  in  1753,  and  at  once 
became  business  manager  of  the  new  colony.  His 
dealings  with  the  Indians  showed  great  tact  and 
skill  and  he  became  the  leader  in  Bethania  affairs. 
In  1758  he  qualified  as  the  first  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  Wachovia.  He  and  Bulitschek  (Bolijack)  built 
the  Bethania  organ,  the  pipes  being  brought  from 
Europe,  and  Lash  was  the  first  organist.  Later  he 
went  north,  and  died  in  New  Jersey  1782.  His  three 
boys,  however,  came  South.  In  correspondence 
with  one  of  his  grand-daughters,  she  mentioned  how 
her  father  remembered  that  as  a  little  boy  of  five 
years  old,  he  sat  on  the  organ  bench  beside  his 
father  (Jacob)  when  he  played  the  organ  which  we 
have  before  us  to-day.  In  the  memorabilia  of  1773 
we  are  told  that  the  Salem  Organ  had  been  used 
the  previous  year  at  the  Married  People's  Festival, 
September  7,  but  that  in  this  present  year,  our  organ 
was  sufficiently  near  completion  to  be  used,  so  that 
was  probably  the  first  time  it  was  used.  After  that 
time,  the  organ,  who  played  it  and  how  much  pleas- 


56  BETHANIA 


ure  it  gave,  were  mentioned  on  every  festal  occasion. 

Jacob's  children  were  John  Christian,  John  Jacob, 
Abraham,  Anna  Phillipena  (Mrs.  Moench),  Susanna, 
Catherine  and  Elizabeth  (Mrs.  Shultz).  John  Chris- 
tian ran  away  and  came  South  because  his  father,  in 
accordance  with  the  German  custom,  wanted  him  to 
learn  a  trade.  The  German  Kaiser  today  makes 
every  one  of  his  six  boys  learn  a  trade.  Jacob  Lash 
owned  1700  acres  of  land  in  this  state.  By  his  will 
the  oldest  son  had  choice,  so  John  Christian  got  a 
good  start  here  in  business.  He  had  the  first  store 
in  Bethania,  a  large  plantation  and  slaves,  and  later 
the  Tavern;  the  Tan-yard,  Oil  Mill,  Grist  and  Saw 
Mills  were  originally  the  property  of  Abraham  Lash. 
At  his  death  John  Christian  bought  them  for  his 
younger  sons,  I.  G.  and  T.  B.  Lash.  John  Chris- 
tian was  married  three  times  and  had  three  sets  of 
children. 

In  the  early  mercantile  days  he  would  send  a 
four-horse  covered  wagon  with  a  nail-keg  of  silver 
and  gold  in  the  back  part ;  the  trusty  driver,  jogging 
up  through  Virginia,  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania  to 
Philadelphia,  up  Chestnut  street,  where  he  would  get 
his  load  of  goods,  paying  for  them  out  of  the  nail- 
keg,  and  then  leisurely  jog  back  again,  a  six  weeks 
drive  to  Bethania,  and  this  load  of  goods  would 
serve  for  the  year.  He  made  money  too,  verily, 
times  have  changed. 

About  1841  the  cigar-making  industry  was  added, 
and  their  choice  cigars  were  known  all  over  the 
South ;  no  old  cigar  stumps  or  elder  leaves  were 
worked  in  up  there.  Bethania  has  never  been  noted 
for  anything  shoddy,  or  make-believe.  L.  H.  Liv- 
ingston the  agent  was  probably  the  first  specimen 
of  the  genus  "Drummer,"  as  with  his  colored  driver 
Frank,  he  travelled  in  a  commodious  wagon,  all  over 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  57 


the  States.  Frank  was  later  hanged  for  murder, 
but  that  did  not  impair  his  early  efficiency,  when  as 
a  dandified  copy  of  his  master,  he  was  known  ev- 
erywhere. With  the  Civil  War  all  these  industries 
went  down.  The  younger  members  of  the  family 
started  a  factory  here  that  turned  out  very  fine  wool- 
len goods  in  1879  or  '80,  but  the  times  were  too  un- 
settled for  any  such  industry  to  flourish.  They 
closed  out  in  two  or  three  years,  and  the  machinery 
was  sold  to  the  Snow  Camp  Woollen  Mills  in  Ala- 
mance County.  I.  G.  Lash  who  inherited  the  finan- 
cial ability  of  his  family  to  an  extraordinary  degree 
early  came  to  Salem  where  he  conducted  the  Branch 
Bank  of  Cape  Fear  until  failing  health  closed  his 
life  in  1879. 

POST-OFFICE. 

The  first  Post-office  was  established  here  with  J. 
C.  Lash  at  Postmaster.  It  remained  here  till  about 
1853  when  it  was  removed  to  Lehman's  Store  which 
had  been  opened  at  the  lower  end  of  town  Novem- 
ber 22,  1836.  The  firm  of  Lehman  and  Butner  con- 
sisted of  H.  H.  Butner,  his  son-in-law,  E.  C.  Leh- 
man, and  later  H.  R.  Lehman  for  a  time.  The  Post- 
office  has  remained  at  this  store  till  the  present  time, 
with  a  brief  exception  during  the  troubled  times  of 
the  Civil  War.  For  some  little  time  it  was  kept  by 
Rev.  R.  I.  Devin  and  later  by  Mrs.  Amelia  Grabs, 
but  it  gradually  gravitated  back  to  its  place  at  the 
lower  store. 

The  store  of  Lehman  and  Butner  has  continued  in 
business  at  the  same  place,  with  the  exception  of 
a  short  time  toward  the  end  of  the  war  when  it  was 
closed  owing  to  the  absence  of  the  two  younger  pro- 
prietors, O.  J.  Lehman  and  F.  A.  Butner,  in  the  army. 
Later  they  started  anew  as  "O.  J.  Lehman  and  But- 


58  BETHANIA 


ner"  also  taking  in  J.  H.  Kapp  about  1871  or  *J2. 
His  death  in  1896  necessitated  another  change.  A 
Roller  Mill  was  also  started  and  the  store  went  on 
till  1908,  when  ().  J.  Lehman  sold  out  to  a  Stock 
Company  then  formed  and  now  being  operated  at 
the  old  stand.  At  one  time  the  firm  of  "O.  J.  Leh- 
man and  Butner"  carried  on  five  stores,  one  at 
Stony  Ridge,  one  at  Kapp's  Mills,  Surry  County,  one 
at  the  old  Lash  stand,  the  home  store  and  for  a  time 
one  at  Vienna  or  Brookstown.  A  flourishing  To- 
bacco Factory  was  also  begun  at  the  Lash  store  but 
later  removed  to  the  building  known  as  "the  Fac- 
tory" at  the  lower  end  of  town.  The  factory  closed 
with  Mr.  Kapp's  death  in  1896. 

CONRAD'S. 

The  Conrads  were  also  a  prominent  family  in  and 
around  Bethania.  Jacob  Conrad  lived  about  one 
and  a  half  miles  north  of  town  where  he  had  a  store 
in  early  days,  owned  numerous  slaves  and  was  a 
noted  business  man.  Abraham  Conrad  lived  in  Be- 
thania till  later  he  removed,  with  the  family  of  his 
daughter,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  B.  Jones,  to  a  beautiful  site 
just  above  town  beyond  his  mill.  John  Conrad  lived 
on  a  fine  plantation  on  the  Yadkin,  while  the  home- 
stead of  Isaac  Conrad,  Sr.  was  at  Vienna  or  Brooks- 
town. 

OTHER  INDUSTRIES. 

Various  other  industries  were  carried  on,  more  es- 
pecially in  earlier  days,  though  it  is  interesting  to 
note  how  certain  families  run  in  the  same  lines  down 
to  our  days.  The  Kapps  were  the  first  millers,  and 
so  continued  for  years.  The  Transou's,  Solomon 
and  Joseph,  carried  on  wagon  making  as  did  the  el- 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  59 


der  John  Transou  at  the  same  place.  The  Grabs 
were  blacksmiths,  invaluable  as  were  millers  in  a 
new  country,  Herman  Butner  as  a  gun-smith,  car- 
ried loads  of  rifles  and  shot-guns  out  to  West  Ten- 
nessee and  then  selling  out  his  stock  even  his  wagons 
came  home  on  horseback.  The  last  of  these  wes- 
tern trips  was  made  about  1852.  The  Warners  and 
Oehman's  were  coopers,  William  and  Henry  Lehman 
tailors  and  shoe-makers,  John  Christian  Lehman  was 
a  shoe-maker,  and  trained  his  three  boys  to  the  trade, 
but  Eugene  took  up  the  mercantile  business  early. 
Daniel  Butner  was  a  black-smith  and  had  a  shop 
where  later  stood  the  tall  smoke-stack  of  the  Kapp 
factory.  Thomas  Schaub  made  buggies  and  carria- 
ges. Elias  Schaub  was  a  jeweler  and  silver-smith. 
The  Stoltz's,  Simon  and  his  sons,  coppersmiths,  so 
that  every  one  had  a  good  trade  to  fall  back  upon. 
Cigar  and  snuff  making  were  carried  on  by  Gertrude 
Stoltz,  and  later  by  Betsy  Hauser.  Distilling  was 
also  a  prominent  industry. 

ROADS. 

Roads,  too,  have  had  their  part  in  the  general  trend 
of  progress.  The  first  road  after  the  one  from  Be- 
thabara,  which  came  in  at  the  upper  end  of  town,  was 
the  so-called  "Old  Richmond"  road  coming  in  from 
the  west  by  Lash's  store,  and  thence  straight  out  to 
Bethabara  through  the  opposite  lane.  When  Leh- 
man's store  began  business  at  the  other  end  of  town, 
the  lower  road  to  Salem  was  cut  out  and  gradually 
became  the  stage  road  to  Mt.  Airy,  and  the  upper 
road  was  disused. 

The  Fayetteville  or  Western  Plank-Road  was 
boomed  about  1853  but  did  not  prove  a  success.  It 
was  to  go  to  Mt.  Airy,  45  miles  farther  on,  but  stop- 


6o  BETHANIA 


ped  in  front  of  Lash's  store.  Our  fine  bottoms,  south 
of  Bethania,  were  for  a  time  mined,  as  the  broad 
road  cut  diagonally  right  through  the  most  fertile 
portion.  Gradually  the  planks  rotted,  the  road  was 
not  kept  up, — was  discontinued — and  now,  to  look 
at  the  rich  waving  corn  and  luxuriant  grass  of  these 
bottoms  we  would  find  it  difficult  to  conceive  of  the 
banks  of  hard  clay  that  once  disfigured  them.  In 
our  day  and  time  we  have  builded  better ;  the  good 
roads  of  the  present  are  macadamized  and  will  not 
decay  as  did  the  plank-road  of  fifty  years  ago,  which 
is  now  replaced  by  the  excellent  macadamized  road 
from  Bethania  to  Winston-Salem.  Other  roads 
leading  from  Bethania  are  the  so-called  old  Hollow 
road  due  north,  and  the  Shallowford  road  southwest. 

Look  at  our  iron  and  steel  bridges,  too,  compared 
with  the  weak  wooden  structures  of  the  past,  washed 
away  by  the  next  freshet.  With  good  roads,  fine 
bridges,  with  industrial  and  educational  development, 
our  beloved  Bethania  is  surely  arising  to  new  life 
and  vigor  and  progress. 

We  are  proud  of  the  deeds  of  our  ancestors,  but 
we  dare  not  stop  here.  Fifty  years  ago,  a  good 
many  of  us  were  here  to  celebrate  our  Centennial, 
and  the  Jubilee  of  our  church  building.  In  1859  our 
church  had  but  then  discarded  its  old-time  reading- 
desk,  and  rejoiced  in  a  white  enamelled  pulpit  built 
by  Rev.  Jacob  Siewers  the  pastor,  for  that  occasion. 
In  1884,  under  the  energetic  leadership  of  J.  H.  Kapp, 
the  interior  of  the  church  was  re-modelled  into  its 
present  condition  ;  the  north  gallery  was  torn  out, 
the  pulpit  removed  from  the  east  side  to  its  present 
place. 

The  old  organ  is  still  the  same.  We  love  it  as  our 
fathers  did.  We  think  of  those  who  played  it  in  the 
past,  beginning  with  Jacob  Lash,  William  Grabs,  Dr. 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAE  (n 


Shuman,  Mrs.  Oehman,  E.  C.  Lehman,  Maria  But- 
ner,  Mrs.  Sallie  Kapp  beginning-  when  she  was  twelve 
years  old,  and  continuing  till  increasing  family  cares 
put  a  stop  to  it,  Mrs.  Almira  Kapp,  and  the  present 
organist  Mrs.  Strickland,  who  has  played  it  thirty 
years,  and  its  tones  are  still  sweet  in  our  ears.  But 
we  dare  not  stop  here,  we  must  do  our  part  in  the 
great  onward  march  of  Progress  and  show  ourselves 
worthy  descendants  of  those  who  toiled  and  prayed 
and  wrought  here  15c  years  ago. 

MINISTERS  OF  BETHANIA. 

John  David  Bishop,  1760 — 1763 
L.  G.  Backhoff,  1761 — 1770. 
John  G.  Ernst,  1770 — 1784. 
Valentin  Beck,  1784 — 1791. 
Simon  Peter,  1791 — 1802. 
•  Christ.  T.  Pfohl,  1802— 1823. 
J.  P.  Kluge,  Assistant,  1813 — 1819. 
Peter  Wolle,  Assistant,  1819 — 1822. 
Chas.  Van  Vleck,  1822 — 1826. 
J.  C.  Jacobson,  1820 — 1834. 
G  .  F.  Bahnson,  1834— 1838. 
Julius  T.  Beckler,  1838— 1844. 
F.  F.  Hagen,  1844 — 185 1. 
M.  E.  Grunert,  185 1 — 1857. 
Jacob  Siewers,  1857 — J865. 
C.  L.  Rights,  1865— 1873. 
E.  P.  Greider,  1873 — 1877. 
R.  P.  Leinbach,  1877 — 1892. 

E.  S.  Crosland,  1892 — 1901. 

F.  W.  Grabs,  1901 


62 


BETHANIA 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  63 


ADDRESS. 


REV.  J.  KENNETH  PFOHL 


^Li  T  is  a  great  pleasure  to  be  able  to  be  present 
njl  with  yon  on  this  memorial  occasion  and  to  have 
^-^  part  in  these  exercises.  In  fact,  I  am  not  so 
sure,  but  that  my  interest  in  this  event  is  as  great 
if  not  greater  than  that  of  any  other  person  present. 
When  mention  was  first  made  of  the  approaching 
celebration  I  felt  an  interest  in  it,  and  when  asked 
by  Bro.  Grabs  to  take  some  part,  I  was  prepared  to 
signify  my  willingness  to  do  so.  But  since  looking 
over  the  records  of  the  years,  in  preparation  for  my 
part  in  the  exercises,  my  interest  has  been  greatly 
increased.  I  had  known,  of  course,  that  my  family 
history  and  that  of  Bethania  were  in  very  close  touch 
with  each  other,  but  how  closely  it  had  been  con- 
nected with  important  occasions  of  this  kind  I  did 
not  known  until  quite  recently.  From  the  list  of 
pastors  of  this  congregation  as  given  in  Clewell's 
History  of  Wachovia,  I  learned  that  in  1809  when 
this  congregation  was  fifty  years  old  my  great-grand- 
father, on  my  father's  side,  the  Rev.  Christian 
Thomas  Pfohl,  was  the  pastor  of  this  congregation 
and  as  such  had  charge  of  the  exercises  incident  to 
that  occasion.  Again  fifty  years  later,  when  in  1859 
the  congregation  observed  its  one-hundredth  anni- 
versary, my  grand-father  on  my  mother's  side,  Rev. 
Jacob  Siewers,  was  the  pastor  of  the  congregation 
and  of  course  took  part  in  the  centennial  celebra- 
tion. It  is  but  natural  then,  after  another  fiftv  vears 
has  gone  by,  that  I,  the  only  descendant  of  these  two 


64  BETHANIA 


former  pastors  of  the  Bethania  congregation  in  the 
ministry  of  the  church,  should  be  interested  in  tak- 
ing part  in  the  exercises  of  this  Sesqui-Centennial 
anniversary. 

Whether  it  is  due  to  inheritance  through  both 
branches  of  my  family  or  to  the  influence  of  this  hour, 
I  cannot  say,  but  I  feel  that  I  have  somehow  caught 
or  been  caught  by  the  spirit  of  the  place  and  occasion, 
and  am  in  full  sympathy  with  you  in  this  important 
celebration.  I  feel  that  you  do  well  to  celebrate  the 
event.  It  is  well  to  call  back  the  sons  and  daugh- 
ters who  have  been  led  to  make  their  homes  else- 
where, that  they  may  mingle  together  as  in  earlier 
days,  renew  their  friendship,  strengthen  the  ties  which 
bind  them  together,  and  come  under  the  healthful 
influence  of  the  old  home  again.  It  is  fitting,  too, 
to  pause  in  the  midst  of  our  busy  life  to  think 
of  those  who  lived  and  wrought  for  the  upbuilding 
of  this  community  but  who  have  long  ago  rested 
from  their  toil  and  whose  ashes  lie  on  yonder  hill, 
and  to  pay  tribute  to  their  memory.  And  you  will 
find  it  helpful,  I'm  sure,  to  take  an  inventory,  as  it 
were,  of  your  resources,  see  what  has  been  accom- 
plished, whither  you  are  tending  and  how  you  may 
wisely  and  successfully  continue  the  work  which  has 
ii])  to  this  time  been  so  well  done. 

One  hundred  and  fifty  years!  How  shall  we  view 
it?  As  a  long  or  short  period  of  time?  Measured 
in  the  light  of  eternity  it  is  very,  very  short,  scarcely 
a  breath.  But  viewed  from  the  standpoint  from 
which  earthly  things  are  viewed  it  is  a  very  con- 
siderable space  of  time.  I  had  thought  of  the  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  of  life  here,  but  had  not  realized 
how  long  a  period  it  was,  until  I  held  in  my  hand 
the  little  card  announcing  these  execises,  at  the  top 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  6=5 


of  which  I  saw  side  by  side  the  two  dates  1 759-1909. 
With  the  latter  date  I  was  familiar  enough,  but  the 
former  appeared  very  unfamiliar.  "1759!"  Away 
back  in  the  middle  of  the  18th  century.  What  of  it? 
I  asked  myself.  I  was  bewildered.  Rip  Van  Winkle 
was  not  more  so  when  he  found  himself  in  the 
midst  of  strangely  new  scenes,  than  I,  as  I  tried 
to  make  my  way  back  through  the  scenes  and  events 
of  which  I  had  heard  and  read  to  the  time  when 
Spangenberg,  Seidel  and  Lash  on  June  12,  1759  made 
their  way  from  Bethabara  to  the  sloping  hillside 
north  of  the  Black  Walnut  Bottom  and  decided  on 
the  exact  location  of  the  settlement  to  which  they 
gave  the  name  Bethania. 

In  my  journey  through  the  years  my  own  experi- 
ence was  of  small  moment,  for  my  earliest  recollec- 
tions led  me  not  even  a  fifth  part  of  the  way.  So  I 
searched  among  the  memory  records  for  information 
gained  from  parents  and  grandparents.  I  recalled 
having  heard  of  weekly  visits  paid  by  a  young  book- 
keeper of  Salem  to  the  daughter  of  a  former  pastor, 
who  though  a  teacher  in  the  Salem  Female  Academy, 
spent  her  vacations  at  the  Bethania  parsonage.  But 
I  found  that  those  days  when  my  father  was  wooing 
the  Bethania  pastor's  daughter  led  me  back  no 
farther  than  the  early  sixties  of  the  19th  century.  1 
was  still  more  than  100  years  from  the  beginning. 
Once  more  I  sought  within  my  family  history  to  see 
if  I  could  find  out  how  long  it  had  really  been  since 
the  beginning  of  Bethania.  I  went  back  to  the  time 
of  my  great-grandfather — four  generations  back — 
and  found  that  five  pastors  had  served  the  congrega- 
tion before  his  time  and  that  I  was  still  in  the  19th 
century.  Back  to  the  time  of  my  great-grandfather 
and  still   fifty  years   from  the  beginning!     Bethania 


66  BETHANIA 


was  in  my  estimation  becoming  hoary  with  age.  All 
family  connections  having  failed  me,  I  turned  to  the 
dates  of  important  events  in  our  country's  history 
which  I  had  stored  in  memory's  vaults.  1789 — the 
year  of  the  organization  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States  with  Geo.  Washington  as  its  first 
president — but  I  found  that  Bethania  was  already 
30  years  of  age  at  that  time.  1775 — when  the  brave 
sons  of  Mecklenburg  county  sent  forth  their  famous 
Declaration  of  Independence.  But  I  found  that  then 
already  the  work  in  Bethania  was  firmly  planted  and 
that  one  of  the  most  authentic  records  of  this  im- 
portant event  was  found  in  the  diary  of  this  con- 
gregation. Once  more  I  searched  and  the  years 
1754  to  1763  stood  before  me.  With  them  I  had  al- 
ways associated  the  French  and  Indian  war,  when 
British  and  French  were  struggling  for  the  mastery 
of  the  new  world  and  determining  whether  the  influ- 
ence of  French  or  English  should  predominate  in  the 
colonies.  And  there  in  the  very  middle  of  that  strug- 
gle with  which  there  had  always  been  associated  in 
my  mind  the  adventures  of  the  young  surveyor  Wash- 
ington and  the  awful  atrocites  of  the  Indians — in  that 
period,  when  as  yet  there  was  no  thought  of  inde- 
pendence of  the  mother  country,  when  the  need  of 
the  union  of  the  colonies  was  just  beginning  to  make 
itself  felt,  when  as  yet  not  one  single  important 
event  had  taken  place  looking  to  the  formation  of 
the  American  Union — Bethania's  foundation  was 
laid. 

How  far  off  the  beginning  appears  to  us  now ! 
How  many  the  events  which  have  crowded  into  the 
years  since  that  time  !  How  important  the  items  of 
news  which  from  time  to  time  reached  the  ears  of 
the  villagers  here.     At  the  village  store,  the  men,  and 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  67 


in  the  home  around  the  quilting  frame,  the  women, 
discussed  such  items  of  news  as  the  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill  and  the  defeat  of  Napoleon  at  Waterloo.  Of  all 
the  exciting  events  connected  with  the  Revolution, 
the  happenings  incident  to  the  formation  of  our  gov- 
ernment and  of  the  growth  and  development  of  our 
great  country,  this  settlement  has  been  an  interested 
witness  and  in  many  of  them  she  has  played  her  lit- 
tle part. 

But  you  ask  me,  what  of  the  place  itself?  What 
of  the  life  here  during  these  one  hundred  and  fifty 
years  ?  What  is  there  to  show  for  the  toil  and  strug- 
gle of  those  who  have  lived  and  wrought  here? 
What  have  they  accomplished?  How  have  they 
builded  ? 

These  are  questions  in  which  all  are  interested. 
Of  these  things  many  of  you  have  been  thinking  as 
your  thoughts  turned  towards  this  Sesqui-Centennial 
celebration.     How  shall  they  be  answered? 

The  true  measure  of  things  is  never  to  be  sought 
for  in  times  of  quantity  but  quality.  It  is  not  the 
extent  of  costly  possessions  or  the  vastness  of  busi- 
ness enterprises  that  counts  for  most,  but  character 
and  influence.  This  we  are  accustomed  to  reckon 
true  of  individuals.  It  is  none  the  less  true  of  com- 
munities. Of  all  things,  character  alone  is  enduring, 
it  remains  when  all  else  has  perished.  Though  ma- 
terial prosperity  is  not  to  be  despised,  yet  it  is  by  no 
means  the  highest  good,  and  the  worth  of  a  com- 
munity to  the  State  and  to  the  world  is  not  dependent 
primarily  on  its  wealth  or  its  industry,  but  upon  its 
character  and  influence.  That  a  community  as  well 
as  an  individual  has  character  there  is  scarcelv  need 
to  state.  Neither  need  we  waste  words  in  declaring 
that  the  character  of  a  community  is  very  powerful 


68  BETHANIA 


and  influences  for  good  or  ill  not  only  the  citizens 
of  the  community  as  such,  but  the  county,  the  State 
and  even  the  nation. 

Of  this  community  around  which  our  interest  is 
centered  today,  it  may  be  said  that  in  the  progress 
of  these  150  years  it  has  developed  a  strong  and  well 
defined  character,  a  character  well  known  by  all  who 
have  come  into  contact  with  its  life  and  which  has 
given  it  an  influence  for  good  wherever  it  is  known. 

In  determining  the  character  of  this  community  two 
important  factors  have  been  at  work — the  one  from 
without,  the  other  from  within — the  one  almost 
wholly  material,  the  other  spiritual. 

The  influence  from  without  has  come  from  the 
peculiar  position  of  the  community  in  relation  to  the 
great  trade  centers  and  the  principle  avenues  of 
trade,  to  its  location  and  its  natural  envions. 
These  things  have  determined  the  occupations  of  the 
people,  their  habits  of  life,  and,  to  a  very  large  extent, 
they  have  been  responsible  for  the  lack  of  any  great 
industrial  development.  Then  it  must  always  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  purpose  of  those  who  planned 
and  for  many  years  directed  the  life  of  this  place,  was 
not  to  make  of  it  any  large  center  of  activity.  They 
threw  their  influence  and  strongest  efforts  in  the 
direction  of  the  settlement  founded  a  few  years 
later  at  Salem,  and  it  was  never  their  intention  that 
Bethania  should  be  other  than  a  small  settlement. 
It  may  easily  be  seen  too,  how  this  fact  has  called 
away,  from  time  to  time,  young  people  of  strength 
and  ability  who  have  gone  to  build  up  other  places 
and  has  thus  taken  from  the  home  community  much 
of  vigor  and  young  strength.  In  this  respect  I  know 
of  few  communities  which  have  suffered  to  the  same 
extent  as  Bethania,  and  vet  it  is  to  her  great  credit, 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  69 


and  it  should  be  to  her  a  cause  of  just  pride  and  a 
splendid  testimonial  to  her  character,  that  they  have 
added  strength  and  efficiency  to  those  communities 
with  which  they  have  cast  in  their  lot,  that  they  have 
brought  honor  upon  the  old  home  that  sent  them 
forth,  have  preserved  her  fair  name  and  have  wit- 
nessed to  the  true  worth  of  the  life  of  this  place. 

The  other  force  that  has  operated  to  determine  the 
character  of  the  place  has  been  the  ideals  of  its  peo- 
ple— a  force  always  more  potent  in  shaping  charac- 
ter, whether  of  an  individual  or  community,  than  any- 
thing else.  From  the  ideals  of  the  men  and  the  wo- 
men who  during  a  century  and  half  have  labored  and 
wrought  here  and  have  builded  much  of  their  ideals 
into  the  life  of  this  place,  there  has  come  the  de- 
termining force  which  has  moulded  the  Bethania 
character  and  developed  the  Bethania  spirit. 

Do  you  ask  me  what  it  is?  It  is  made  up  of  three 
factors. 

The  first  of  these  of  which  I  shall  speak  is — 
Industry. 

I.  The  first  settlers  were  industrious  people — men 
of  unwearied  toil,  who  gave  themselves  with  zeal  and 
devotion  to  the  building  of  a  home  here  in  the  wil- 
derness of  Carolina  which  should  stand  for  the  high- 
est and  best  there  was  in  life.  That  they  were  men 
of  great  industry  was  evidenced  by  the  extent  of 
their  accomplishments.  Entering  this  unbroken 
wilderness  they  soon  cut  roads,  cleared  fields,  erected 
dwellings,  built  industries,  harvested  crops — in  fact, 
in  a  short  space  of  time  established  here  the  best  and 
most  flourishing  industrial  center  of  their  time, 
which  was  sought  eagerly  by  the  citizens  of  the  coun- 
try for  a  hundred  miles  around.  They  were  a  busy, 
hard   working  people,   who   brought   to    their   work 


70  BETHANIA 


earnest  consecration  of  purpose.  They  were  careful 
workers.  They  were  building  not  for  a  day  only. 
They  were  systematic  in  their  efforts.  They  worked 
after  plans  had  been  well  matured  and  not  from  the 
standpoint  of  self,  but  for  the  good  of  all.  This  prin- 
ciple of  industry  has  been  maintained.  Development 
of  large  business  centers  has  worked  great  hardships 
and  has  caused  enterprises  here  to  cease,  has  led 
many  sons  and  daughters  to  go  elsewhere,  and  yet, 
those  who  have  gone  from  you  and  those  who  have 
remained  have  been  true  to  the  ideal  of  industry  and 
honest  toil. 

II.  The  second  ideal  is  that  of  education  or  the 
training  of  the  young.  In  this  world  of  change, 
where  one  generation  comes  upon  the  stage  of  life, 
plays  its  part,  and  passes  off  to  make  room  for  an- 
other, there  are  few  things  more  important  than 
education.  How  else  shall  the  life  be  kept  from  fall- 
ing to  a  lower  level  than  by  the  training  of  the  chil- 
dren, by  instilling  into  them  high  ideals  and  the 
spirit  of  lofty  endeavor.  This  is  a  principle  to  which 
the  Moravian  Church  has  ever  sought  to  be  true. 
And  here,  in  Bethania,  from  the  earliest  times,  the 
education  of  the  youth  has  been  most  strongly  em- 
phasized. The  ideal  has  been  for  education  in  its 
broadest  meaning — not  simply  the  education  of  the 
mind — the  training  of  the  intellect — but  more  impor- 
tant still,  the  education  of  the  heart  as  well.  Moral 
and  spiritual  training  have  here  gone  hand  in  hand 
with  the  intellectual  and  the  young  have  been  taught 
to  live  as  well  as  to  know.  It  has  made  Bethania  a 
community  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and 
morality.  In  accordance  with  this  ideal  there  has 
likewise  been  instilled  into  the  young  a  love  for  the 
higher  arts — those  things  that    bring    that    broader 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  71 


culture  uot  to  De  gained  from  books  alone.  Here 
you  find  a  love  for  music  and  a  proficiency  in  the 
art  not  found  in  many  rural  communities ;  here  your 
young  men  have  shown  commendable  zeal  in  con- 
ducting their  debating  clubs,  and  these  things,  with 
frequent  lectures  and  entertainments,  have  given  to 
your  people  and  community  a  culture  and  polish 
which  is  always  noticeable  to  the  visitor  and  which 
has  given  tone  and  color  to  your  life. 

The  third  factor  of  the  Bethania  spirit  is  Godli- 
ness. 

III.  I  mention  it  last  purely  for  emphasis.  It 
properly  belongs  first,  for  it  has  been  the  very  foun- 
dation of  the  life  here.  If  one  principle  was  more 
prominent  in  the  life  of  the  early  settlers  than  any 
other,  it  was  their  godliness.  They  recognized  their 
dependence  upon  God ;  they  implored  his  guidance 
and  sought  his  aid.  They  were  men  of  simple  child- 
like faith,  who  had  committed  their  way  to  Him  and 
whose  first  purpose  was  to  serve  Him.  Men  who 
believed  that  God's  favor  was  to  be  sought  in  secular 
as  well  as  spiritual  things.  If  you  would  catch 
something  of  the  godliness-of  those  men,  who  in  1759 
laid  here  the  beginning  of  this  work,  you  would  be 
greatly  aided  by  the  record  given  in  the  History  of 
Wachovia.  There  we  read  that  on  July  12,  1859,  the 
little  company  of  brethren  gathered  on  the  spot 
where  the  Grab's  house,  the  first  house  in  Bethania, 
was  to  be  erected,  and  there  the  morning  prayers 
were  conducted  and  there  they  prayed  that  those 
who  would  reside  in  the  house,  as  well  as  the  future 
inhabitants  of  the  town,  might  be  blessed.  Continu- 
ing we  are  told  that  the  diary  adds — "The  service 
drew  us  very  near  to  each  other  in  the  tie  of  brother- 
ly love."     Such  was  the  spirit  of  the  men  of  that  far 


72  BETHANIA 


off  day.  Whatever  else  they  may  or  may  not  have 
been,  of  this  we  are  sure,  they  were  godly. 

Their  motive  was  not  a  selfish  one  that  brought 
them  as  Pioneers  of  civilization  into  these  Carolina 
wilds.  They  came  because  the  church  wanted  them 
to  come ;  they  came  under  the  direction  and  authori- 
ty of  the  church,  believing  that  in  obeying  the  church 
they  were  obeying  God.  They  came  to  their  work 
of  cutting  roads,  of  erecting  houses,  of  tilling  fields, 
in  exactly  the  same  spirit  that  the  pastor  goes  to  his 
new  field  of  labor  or  the  missionary  to  his  distant 
home.  They  brought  to  their  work  the  same  con- 
secration and  the  same  holy  purpose.  They  were 
laymen  called  of  God  to  labor  for  Him. 

It  was  this  spirit  that  brought  it  about  that  from 
the  beginning  this  community  began  to  witness  for 
God.  It  was  for  His  glory  that  they  laid  their 
foundation  here  and  sought  to  build  thereon,  and, 
than,  this,  I  know  of  no  higher  motive  than  can 
actuate  men.  In  so  doing  they  were  carrying  out 
the  supreme  purpose  of  God  with  man. 

If  to  me  it  has  been  given  to  understand  God's 
purpose  with  man  and  his  desire  for  the  world,  it  is, 
that,  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  earth, 
wherever  man  dwells,  he  may  witness  for  Him, 
that  he  may  cause  it  to  be  known  that  there  is  a 
God  in  heaven  who  rules  over  the  affairs  of  men  and 
desires  them  to  live  in  obedience  to  His  commands 
and  to  seek  to  carry  out  his  purpose. 

That  here,  in  this  little  corner  of  the  world,  the 
corner  into  which  God  led  them  to  make  their  home, 
our  forefathers  sought  to  carry  out  this  great  pur- 
pose of  God,  is  that  which  today  should  furnish  the 
chief  joy  of  this  anniversary  occasion. 

That,  in  the  beginning,  Bethania  was  as  a  light  in 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  73 

the  wilderness  shining  for  God,  that,  today,  her  citi- 
zens are  still  seeking  to  be  loyal  to  Him  and  are  en- 
deavoring to  celebrate  this  occasion  in  a  spirit  of  wor- 
ship and  devotion  to  Him,  is  your  chief  glory.  Than 
this  there  is  no  greater  privilege,  there  is  no  higher 
honor.  This  must  ever  be  the  crowning  glory  as  it 
should  be  the  chief  end  of  every  community's  life. 

It  is  in  my  heart  today  to  wish  for  you,  the  citizens 
of  this  community,  and  for  old  Bethania,  many  years 
of  opportunity  and  service.  I  would  have  them  be 
years  of  earnest  toil,  of  zealous  striving,  of  noble 
endeavor,  of  glorious  attainment.  But  if  they  are 
to  be  such,  you  must  be  true  to  the  great  ideals  of 
your  fathers.  You  must  build  upon  the  foundation 
of  faith  in  God.  You  must  seek  ever  to  witness  for 
Him.  You  must  be  most  careful  and  faithful  in  the 
training  of  the  youth.  You  must  be  most  diligent  in 
your  toil  and  labor.  Then  will  the  blessing  of  God, 
for  which,  on  the  first  day  of  the  life  here,  the  fore- 
fathers prayed,  abide  with  you  always. 


74  BETHANIA 


SKETCH  OF  CELEBRATION. 


ATURDAY,  the  first  day  of  the  anniversary 
services,  opened  with  a  bright  sky.  In  due  time 
the  people  began  to  arrive  from  different  parts 
of  the  Province  and  surrounding  country  and  contin- 
ued to  come  until  we  had  a  large  congregation. 

About  half  an  hour  before  the  opening  the  church 
band  announced  the  happy  occasion  by  playing 
chorals  on  the  steeple. 

Some  time  after  ten  o'clock  the  services  began 
with  the  congregation  rising  and  singing,  "Now  let 
us  praise  the  Lord,"  after  which  the  choir  sang,  "I 
Will  Extol."  Rev.  J.  F.  McCuiston,  pastor  of 
Christ  Church,  Salem,  led  in  a  responsive  reading, 
and  read  Psalm  90. 

Rev.  E.  C.  Stempel,  pastor  of  East  Salem  and 
Centerville,  led  in  prayer  and  read  the  greetings 
from  the  Mission  Board  in  Berthelsdorf.  Rev. 
James  E.  Hall,  pastor  of  the  congregation,  and  prin- 
cipal of  the  school,  at  Clemmons,  gave  greetings  for 
the  Province. 

Rev.  J.  K.  Pfohl,  pastor  of  Salem  Home  congre- 
gation, delivered  the  Sesqui-Centennial  address, 
which  was  followed  by  an  anthem  by  the  choir, 
"Awake  My  Soul." 

The  close  of  the  service  consisted  of  the  presen- 
tation of  the  Lash  Window  and  other  memorials. 
Two  little  girls,  of  the  youngest  descendants  of  John 
Christian  Lash,  unveiled  the  window  put  in  to  his 
memory  by  members  of  the  family.  Other  Sesqui- 
Centennial  memorials,  as  announced  by  the  pastor, 
were:     A  painting  in  the  arcli  behind  the  pulpit,  put 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  75 


in  for  a  former  pastor  Rev.  E.  P.  Greider,  by  his 
widow,  Mrs.  Sarah  Greider,  and  daughter,  Mrs.  E. 
M.  Lehman ;  pnpit  pedestals,  by  Mr.  E.  T.  Kapp ; 
pulpit  chairs  in  memory  of  the  late  J.  H.  Kapp,  by 
members  of  his  family ;  chair  for  communion  table, 
by  infant  classes  of  Bethania  Sunday  School;  pulpit 
Bible,  by  Miss  E.  A.  Lehman ;  Bible  book  mark  by 
Mrs.  E.  S.  Crosland  in  memory  of  her  son,  Shober, 
who  was  born  in  Bethania  ;  carpet  and  jardinieres, 
by  Young  Ladies'  Bible  Class  and  Young  Men's 
Bible  Class  of  Bethania  Sunday  School;  window 
transoms  for  ventilation,  by  Ladies'  Missionary  So- 
ciety;  Sunday  School  piano  purchased  by  united  ef- 
forts and  contributions  of  people  in,  and  outside  of 
Bethania ;  concrete  walk  on  church  pavement,  the 
fund  started  by  Mrs.  E.  M.  Lehman's  Sunday 
School  class  and  completed  by  contributions  from 
friends,  in  Bethania  and  Salem ;  also  painting  on  ex- 
terior of  parsonage  and  church,  and  graveyard  fence. 
Rev.  E.  S.  Crosland,  pastor  of  Calvary  Church, 
Winston,  offered  the  dedicatory  prayer. 

After  the  closing  hymn,  "O  Lord  of  heaven,  and 
earth,  and  sea  !"  Bro.  Hall  pronounced  the  bene- 
diction. — 

SATURDAY  AFTERNOON. 

The  playing  by  the  band  in  front  of  the  church 
was  followed  by  the  Sunday  School  Mass-Meeting, 
in  which  Bethania,  Olivet,  Alpha,  and  Mizpah 
schools  had  a  reserved  place  in  the  middle  row  of 
seats.  Bro.  Crosland,  the  only  surviving  former 
pastor,  presided.  The  Sunday  School  piano  led  the 
singing.     Hymns  familiar  to  everybody  were  used. 

The  hymn,  "Come  thou  fount  of  every  blessing!" 
and   a   responsive    reading   for   leader,    schools,   and 


76  BETHANIA 


congregation  formed  the  opening.  Bro.  Pfohl  of- 
fered the  opening  prayer. 

A  historical  sketch  of  the  four  Sunday  Schools 
of  the  congregation  was  read  by  the  pastor,  F.  W. 
Grabs.  Mr.  E.  A.  Ebert,  president  of  Forsyth 
County  Sunday  School  Association,  brought  greet- 
ings from  the  county. 

Addresses  were  delivered  by  Bro.  McCuiston  and 
Col.  F.  H.  Fries. 

After  the  closing  prayer  by  Bro.  Crosland,  "Blest 
be  the  tie  that  binds"  was  sung  before  the  benedic- 
tion. 

SATURDAY  NIGHT. 

Promptly  at  seven  o'clock  a  large  congregation 
assembled  behind  the  church  as  the  band  played 
Tune  159A  and  joined  in  singing  to  the  same  tune, 
"All  hail !  thy  church's  Saviour  dear." 

We  then  proceeded  to  the  grave  yard  to  hold  the 
service  similar  to  the  one  held  fifty  years  ago  at 
night. 

When  the  people  had  arranged  themselves  on  the 
sacred  burial  ground,  illuminated  with  electric  lights 
provided  especially  for  our  anniversary  celebration, 
two  hymns  were  sung:  "Children  of  the  heavenly 
king!"  and  "Come,  let  us  join  our  friends  above." 

The  pastor  read  a  brief  newspaper  clipping  from 
1859  describing  the  grave  yard  service  as  held  in  that 
year. 

Bro.  McCuiston  led  in  prayer. 

The  brethren  Crosland  and  Stempel  read  the  Eas- 
ter morning  Litany. 

Before  the  close  Bro.  Stempel  read  a  letter  from 
Rev.  George  F.  Bahnson,  of  Pennsylvania,  referring 
to  his  father,  Bishop  Bahnson,  who  took  active  part 


SESOUI-CENTENNIAL 


7/ 


in  the  graveyard  service  in  the  celebration  in  1859. 

A  number  of  hymns  were  sung  in  the  service,  the 
band  leading.  The  happy  and  peculiarly  impressive 
occasion  was  closed  with  the  anthem,  "Sing  hallelu- 
jah, praise  the  Lord,"  after  which  Bro.  McCuiston 
pronounced  the  benediction. 

SUNDAY  FORENOON. 

The  second  clay  opened  bright  as  the  preceding 
one.  The  happy  Sabbath  was  announced  by  the 
band,  which  played  in  front  of  the  church. 

The  congregation  was  larger  than  on  the  day  be- 
fore, about  five  hundred  being  present. 

"The  service  was  opened  with  "Creation  Hymn" 
by  the  choir.  The  pastor  led  in  the  "Te  Deum 
Laudamus."  Rev.  H.  E.  Rondthaler,  Principal  of 
Salem  Academy  and  College,  read  the  lessons  for 
the  day  and  led  in  prayer. 

The  Sesqui-Centennial  sermon  was  preached  by 
Rt.  Rev.  Edward  Rondthaler,  D.  D.,  of  Salem, 
from  the  text :  Jesus  Christ  the  same  yesterday, 
and  today,  and  forever — Heb.  13  :8. 

After  the  sermon  the  choir  sang  "Nearer  My  God 
to  Thee,"  after  which  the  pastor  led  in  prayer. 

Greetings  were  read  from  Rev.  J.  H.  Clewell,  of 
Bethlehem,  Pa.,  and  Rt.  Rev.  M.  W.  Leibert,  of  New 
York  City. 

After  the  closing  hymn,  "O  God,  our  help  in  ages 
past,"  Bishop  Rondthaler  pronounced  the  benedic- 
tion. 

SUNDAY  AFTERNOON. 

The  band  announced  the  Historical  Meeting  by 
playing  again  in  front  of  the  church. 

The  service  began  with  "Praise  God,    from  whom 


78  BETHANIA 


all.  blessings  flow.''  The  pastor  led  in  a  responsive 
reading.  "Angel  Bands  in  Strains  Sweet  Sounding" 
was  sung  by  the  choir.  Bishop  Rondthaler  offered 
the!  prayer. 

The  Historical  Sketch  of  Bethania,  written  by 
Miss  E.  A.  Lehman,  was  read  by  Bro.  H.  E.  Rond- 
thaler and  was  heard  with  close  attention.  Miss 
Lehman  herself  read  the  Sesqui-Centennial  poem 
that  she  had  written  for  the  occasion. 

The  pastor  read  greetings  from  Rev.  Jonathan 
Reinke,  of  the  West  Indies,  as  a  representative 
from  the  Foreign  Mission  work,  Rev.  Walter  A. 
Schmidt,  of  Herrnhut,  as  secretary  of  the  work  in 
Bohemia  and  Moravia,  and  Rev.  F.  E.  Grnnert,  of 
Stat'en  Island,  N.  Y. 

The  congregation  was  dismissed  by  Bro.  H.  E. 
Rondthaler. 

SUNDAY  NIGHT. 

The  closing  praise  service,  with  the  electric  lights, 
the  orchestra  from  Winston-Salem  to  lead  in  the 
music,  and  the  inspiring  singing  by  the  congregation, 
was  the  most  brilliant  one  of  all. 

The  grand  old  familiar  church  hymns  were  used. 
The  congregation  joined  in  the  Lord's  Prayer  in  the 
opening  part.  The  pastor  read  Psalm  122.  Mr.  F. 
H.  Lash  offered  the  prayer. 

The  closing  address  was  delivered  by  Col.  W.  A. 
Blair. 

Miss  Ella  Lehman  sang  a  solo,  "Beautiful  Home 
of  Paradise"  with  orchestral  accompaniment. 

At  different  times  in  the  service  greetings  were 
read  from  Rev.  C.  A.  Meilicke,  of  Grand  Rapids, 
Wis.;  Rev.  Paul  M.  Greider,  of  Brooklyn,  N.  Y. ; 
Rev.  E.  S.  Hagen,  of  Lititz,  Pa.;  Rev.  S.  H.  Gapp, 


SESQUI-CENTENNIAL  79 

editor  of  "The  Moravian"  and  Professor  in  Moravian 
College  and  Theological  Seminary,  Bethlehem,  Pa. ; 
Rev.  H.  P.  Mumford,  of  England,  Editor  of  "Mora- 
vian Missions";  and  Bishop  Berkenhagen,  of 
Kleinwelka,  Germany. 

After  the  Doxology  in  responsive  reading  the  ser- 
vice closed,  as  on  the  previous  night,  with  the  "Sing 
Hallelujah,  Praise  the  Lord"  anthem,  after  which 
the  glorins  Sesqui-Centennial  celebration  of  1909  was 
ended  with  the  benediction  by  the  pastor. 


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UNIVERSITY  OF  N.C.  AT  CHAPEL  HILL 


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